Life to Life
by Fino
Summary: AU: Having lost so much, Sakura works herself to exhustion to save the lives of others. When one particular boy pulls her into the life of his father will she allow the two to save her for once? Will Sasuke allow her in? SakuSasu Chapter 8 is up!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Naruto, that honor goes to Kishimoto himself.

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Life to Life  
Chapter 1

-Fino

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The trauma unit bustled with screams and moans while nurses ran franticly around as paramedics wheeled one broken body after another into the emergency room. The pile-up on the interstate 5 had been worse then what they had original thought. More than twenty crushed cars, several dead corpses, and dozens of injured bodies was quite a bit more then a simple finder-bender as reported earlier by the first paramedic.

Sighing, pink hair was banned up quickly before she resumed shouting orders around the unit. Looking over each body with quick but careful eyes she instructed her nurses and interns on where to take them. It was systematic in her mind but nothing was missed due to her years of training in the war torn countries that loomed over seas.

"Take him to eight!" The pink haired women's hand reached out and grabbed the railing of the stretcher that carried the body of a small boy. Several more hands reached out and pulled the boy away from her and sprinted him down the hall.

The fiery women followed seconds later, pushing her way through the gunshot wounds and ODs that scattered the hall and slipped into the prep room. Once inside several nurses approached her with light blue garments as she scrubbed her hands and arms clean.

"Dr. Haruno." The women looked up at the doorway as a nurse tied her smock around her, "We're ready."

They were lucky, she thought as she walked through the doorway and into the operating room. The paramedics had given them a call about the boy after they finished loading him up in the ambulance. His blood loss was devastating and his heart beat faltering. According to the paramedic, they had lost his heart beat once on the way to the hospital.

Taking a deep breathe of the sanitized air she made her way over to the metal table were the boy lay. Inspecting the large gash leading from his abdomen to his right collar bone she looked at her assistance and gave a nod. The quite room filled with urgency and everyone went to work on the frail frame of the child.

Nearly two hours later the female doctor stepped out of the operating room and breathed in the smell of blood and death. Sighing she pulled the cap off her pink hair and let the mess fall from its place on top her head. It had been a hard pull keeping that boy going through numerous blood transfusions and several stopped hearts. She hurt all over from the strain of the operation, but the boy was alive and that was all that mattered. Walking down the hall a little ways to the elevator she made her way to the third floor where the boy had just been moved to sleep off the anesthesia.

The hospital was rather quite for ten o'clock, she thought as she stepped onto the third floor and made her way to the nurses' station. There was only a few people seated in the lobby and none wondering the halls. Shrugging her tense shoulders the doctor arrived at the nurses station and grabbed the metal clipboard with the boys name on it"He probably won't be coming around till sometime tomorrow, I'll be back up around three to check on him personally, but page me if he wakes, we'll need to check a few…" Her words were soon lost as she glanced over to the nurse sitting behind the desk; the blond woman wasn't even paying attention to her. The doctor glared at the oblivious woman wondering what might have caught the petit nurses interest enough that she felt she could ignore one of the senior staff members.

Slowly she lifted her green eyes and followed the nurse's stare to the root of the distraction. Her eyes widened and her breath hitched in her throat as she found the bloody body of a man sitting in the lobby with an ice-pack pressed stiffly between his hands as he bent over in thought. As if knowing he was being watched the man's head slowly turned and his eyes met hers. A blush slowly rose in her cheeks as she was caught staring, but never in her widest dreams could she have ever imagined blood looking so good on a person. Swallowing hard, she tried her hardest to find something else more interesting then the dark pools that lay under those black bangs.

The man straitened up and stood, making his way over to the station. She took her cue and composed herself enough to enable her to walk around to the other side of the station to meet him. Placing her hand out it was grabbed by an ice cold one, "Doctor Haruno." The man's voice took her breath away.

"Yes, but please the interns call me that, Sakura is fine. You must be Kaito's father."

The man nodded and looked in her eyes with a since of urgency, though his face remained unchanged.

"Well I am happy to tell you Mr…"

"Uchiha Sasuke." His voice seemed almost hard as he spoke, but Sakura pushed it off as she used her arm to motion them down the hall.

"This way then Mr. Uchiha. Kaito is doing extremely well for what he went through. In total his heart stopped three times, but after the first transfusion his hearts become stable." She paused in speech as she opened the door to the room which Kaito slept in.

"He's sleeping off the anesthesia right now, but he'll pull through." She smiled as the man slowly walked past her, trying to hold back the since of urgency that pulled at his heart.

Sasuke walked up to his son's bed side placed his hand on the boys head and ran is fingers through his short black hair. He stood there just staring at his sleeping boy, fighting back tears as his eyes travels to the furious red gash that peaked out from beneath his gown. His fingers reluctantly reached out to touch the small wires that held the skin neatly together.

"There are 84 of them." A voice spoke as pain shot through his arm.

Sasuke hissed and pulled away.

"I'm sorry but you are bleeding everywhere and this is a hospital. It would be rather silly to have you walking around here with these cuts unattended." Sakura shot him a glance and pulled a curved needle out of a sealed package. "You never know when you'll need it down in the ER." Sakura replied to his strange look as she slipped her hand into a rubber glove. Sasuke nodded and let her curl the needle in and out of the skin of his upper arm. He felt very little of the needle entering the skin around his shoulder; it hurt more to look at his bruised son.

Sasuke's jaw tightened as he remembered that damned car that boxed him in on Interstate 5; it made him sick just to think about it. Semis and two-door convertibles don't fit well together when slammed into each other at a speed of nearly 120 kilometers and hour.

Sasuke knew he was to blame partially for his son's condition, he could have bought a safer car, gone the speed limit, not gotten angry at Alice his secretary, made his son sit in the back where he was suppose to be at his age, but no he had done none of those. He was in a hurry and time always seemed to be against him.

Sakura could feel the tension rising in his body as she pulled the needle through one last time. The look in Sasuke's eyes told her all she needed to know. It was always hard for her to see parents stand over the bodies of their children as the lay in hospital beds, fearing what might happen if one of the monitors was to beep and squeal. Her heart ached for the man in front of her as well as for Kaito who slept unknowing what his father was going through.

This was love and it was probably the only thing that kept her here.

Sakura placed a bandage on Sasuke's are to cover up the recently added stitches, "There now when your son wakes up he want have to find his father passed out on the floor from blood loss." She offered Sasuke a small smile as she straightened her back up. Sasuke's eyes stayed fixed on the slight rise and fall of Kaito's chest. Sighing Sakura stripped the rubber glove from her hand and made her way to the door.

"I have to go back downstairs but a nurse should be coming in every hour or so to check up on him." Gathering her courage she turned to face Sasuke as she opened the door, "Don't worry he's a strong boy, he'll be just fine." And with that she made her way back to the ER.

It was three in the morning when Sakura found herself pulling a fresh t-shirt over her head. After a thirty-six hour shift in the ER she was ready for her day off and a hott shower.

Placing her hair up in a messy bun, she closed her locker and made her way out of the workroom towards the elevator; she had one thing left to do before she left for the night.

After receiving no answer to her knock, Sakura carefully slid the door open and quietly walked into the room. A smile graced her lips in the low lighting at the sight before her. Kaito lay motionless hooked up to several monitors and IVs just as she had left him earlier that night. His father on the other hand lay next to his son with his back against the wall asleep. Her smile widened into a grin when she noticed Sasuke's arm wrapped around his son protectively, allowing the boys head to rest against his father's abdomen.

Silently Sakura walked over to the monitors and checked the read-out that was spit out every few minutes. Walking back around the bed, opposite the side Sasuke slept on, she pulled out her stethoscope. Sakura listened closely to his heart beat for several minutes, checking carefully for anything like a murmur. Without blinking she moved her other hand down to on wrist to his pulse and looked to the clock. Satisfied that everything sounded fine for the night, Sakura pulled the blue blanket up closer to the boy. She pushed a few stray strands of hair out of his face, "so strong." She touched his check before making her way back to the door and out of the room, oblivious to the dark eyes that watched her every move. His lips turned up in a small smirk before he pulled his son closer and let his eyelids close once again.

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Hope you all enjoyed it; promise I will finish this one.  
-Fino 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Naruto that honor goes to Kishimoto himself.

This story was inspired by a piece of art work _Sorceressmyr_ did. I saw it and knew that I had to do something with it. So yeah for her artwork, the link to her page is on my profile so go check her stuff out it's really awesome!

Life to Life  
Chapter 2

-Fino

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The loud beeping of her pager startled Sakura from her tormented sleep. Her heart raced quickly from the images as well as the thought of falling asleep on duty. It wasn't until she pushed herself up off a rather soft _floor_ that she realized that she was at her apartment in bed.

Groaning, Sakura rolled over running a hand through her disheveled hair and looked up at the popcorn ceiling; she needed to dust. Her back cracked loudly as she stretched her pale arms up over her head and to the sides. It was her day off and there was a lot of work to be done. Her laundry had slowly started to overflow out of the hamper and onto the floor, the bathroom hadn't been cleaned in several weeks, and there was always dusting to do.

Sakura then gave her eyes a good rub and glanced over at the clock on her bedside table that read 11:48PM. Rubbing her face in slight misery Sakura couldn't help but wonder if she would ever get any sleep in this town.

Shaking off the last few bits of sleep, Sakura reached over to her bedside table and picked up the vibrating object before it fell to the floor. She really didn't want to think about work right now, not about that dream. The dreams were probably the worse part about being a doctor; she could see everyone that had ever died on her table, die again and again in her sleep.

Sakura fought back the tears and sat up on her futon. She wouldn't think about them now. Her demons could live in her sleep for all she cared, but they would not take control of her conscious during the waking hours of her life.

She swung her legs around off the futon and placed her feet on the cold wooden floor of her apartment.

"Why do I always forget socks?" she muttered as chills ran up her spin. Gritting her teeth at the cold she looked down at the words at ran slowly the screen of her pager. Her eyebrows furrowed at the letters at first, but then her eyes widened at the realization of there meaning.

Without a second thought Sakura leapt out of bed, grabbed some clothes and her bag before rushing out the door. She struggled pulling on her blue-jean skirt as she rushed to the elevator of her apartment building. Her neighbors had gotten rather used to her running down the halls half dressed at strange hours, so seeing the pink haired women take off down the hallways in her underwear was nothing new.

Racing from the elevator into the parking garage Sakura slung her bag across her chest and hopped on her red Ducati. The engine turned and RPMs raged as she sped out of the parking garage and gunned it towards the hospital.

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Several nurses bustled around the room when Sakura finally walked in. One of the nurses smiled at Sakura and pointed to her shirt; it was inside out. Sighing Sakura did her best to hide her embarrassment as she approached Kaito's bed.

"Good afternoon Kaito, I'm Doctor Haruno." She smiled at the boy who just but twelve hours ago lay on her operating table half dead, "but you can call me Sakura if you like."

She pushed the bedside chair out of the way and took her place by his shoulder. The boy looked up and gave her a small smile before looking back down to his hands. A nurse handed Sakura the metal clipboard before turning to take her leave.

"Hungry?" Sakura asked looking down at Kaito with a big smile. The boy gave a slight nod and Sakura motioned to one of the nurses.

"Nothing to sweet." Sakura winked at Kaito as she and the nurse shared a smile before the brown headed lady headed towards the cafeteria. After the nurse went to the cafeteria the other nurses followed suit leaving Kaito and Sakura alone in the sunny room. Smiling once again Sakura moved closer to his bed and adjusted it so he was setting more upright.

"So how are you feeling?" Her stethoscope went to his back as she set him up. The moment the cold metal touched the boys back he set up straight and looked at her with wide eyes.

Laughing Sakura pulled the stethoscope to her mouth, "Sorry bout that, just wanted to make sure you were really awake." She breathed on the stethoscope and then rubbed it on her shirt for warmth.

"Better?" She asked as she once again placed the metal piece on his back.

"Uh-huh." Kaito gave a quick nod of his head and then found something rather interesting about the blanket on his lap.

"Now back to my original question, how are you feeling?" Sakura listened carefully as Kaito took several deep breaths.

"I hurt a lot." Eyes forehead scrunched as he turned to look at her.

"Hurt? Where does it hurt?" Sakura helped him settle back down on his pillow.

"Here and here." He touched the wound on his chest then the large bruise on his right shoulder.

"Anywhere else?" Sakura sat on the edge of Kaito's bed and took his small wrist in her hand.

The boy gave a small nod, but looked down at the blanket once again, but in shame almost.

"It's okay Kaito, you can tell me." She rubbed the boys arm gently in a soothing manner.

Kaito nervously bit at his lip before looking up at her; Sakura gave him a reassuring smile.

Kaito took her hand slowly in his and placed it right above the pubis part of his pelvis bone. Sakura gave him a questioning glance before it hit her.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?"

Kaito nodded slowly, almost as if he wasn't sure.

Sakura had to smile to herself, he was hooked up to a catheter, but he probably didn't know that he could go ahead and urinate without any problems.

"It's alright Kaito, as long as you think you can get up and go to the bathroom I'll take that catheter out and you can use that bathroom right over there."

"Okay." A slight pause, "What's a catherder?" The boy looked up at her with a confused look.

"A catheter," Sakura stressed the pronunciation, "is something that we put inside people that come into the hospital so that they don't have to get up and go to the bathroom all the time, you can just go when ever you like and you don't have to worry about making a mess in the bed." Sakura liked this kid already.

Kaito nodded in understanding, "So I can go pee now and I won't wet the bed?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Scouts honor, try it if you like." Sakura placed her hand over her heart and gave the boy a wink. Once again the boy bit his lip, but there was a sparkle of mischief and curiosity in those eyes of his.

A smile soon spread across the boys face, "Cool!" Sakura figured he tried it out.

"I've been trying to get the hospital to release one with me, but they don't like it when people who aren't patients use them." This statement earned her a rather toothy grin from the young boy.

"So Kaito how old are you?" Once again she took a set next to him on the bed.

"I'll be six in a few weeks."

"Wow six, you're practically an adult." The boy beamed up at her.

"Yeah my dad's girlfriend is throwing me a surprise party so you can come if you want to." Sakura tried her best not to burst out in laughter at the child's statement. A surprise party and the host was dealing out the invitations.

"I didn't think you were supposed to know if there was a surprise party being thrown in you honor?" Sakura asked more then stated.

"Yeah well when your dad's girlfriend talks on the phone loud enough that people in China can hear it kinda defeats the purpose." The boy shrugged.

"Are you sure you're just going to be six?" Sakura gave the boy a questioning glance just as the door opened. The nurse had returned with a tray full of jellos and puddings, along with some soup and juice. Following not far behind her was Sasuke who rushed quickly into the room.

Sakura had totally forgot about him not being here, but from the looks of him it appeared that he had just been away long enough to pull a good amount of his hair out and chew off his finger nails. Sakura could feel the heat rise in her cheeks as she watched Sasuke rush to his sons' side. The bump on his forehead was taking on a rather nice purple color which was set off nicely by his dark blue dress shirt and grey knit pants.

'God help me.' She prayed in her head.

"Kaito!" Sasuke embraced his son in a tight hug.

Sakura bit her lip to hold back the slight moan that wanted to escape her mouth as she watched Sasuke's arms snake around his sons frail form; such strong arms. She hadn't been stupid the night before when she was sewing Sasuke's arm up, no sir. She had made sure she got a good look at those great muscles that made up his arms; those very arms that were now hidden beneath the thin fabric of that deep blue cloth.

Sakura grunted as she pushed the metal image of a certain shirtless man out of her head, this was about Kaito not his gorgeous father who stood to be the specimen of the perfect man…

'Okay stopping there.' Sakura thought to herself as she shook her head.

"Dad." Kaito whined from his place in his father's arms, "Not in front of girls." He scrunched up is nose and tried to push himself out of his fathers' hold.

As if noticing that they weren't alone for the first time, Sasuke allowed Kaito to pull free, but he made sure to keep a protective arm around his sons' shoulders. It seemed to bother Kaito though, well that was until the nurse placed the tray of pudding and soup in front of him. Once the nurse placed the straw in the juice box and a spoon in the pudding, the boy become oblivious to the world around him.

Sakura built up enough courage to glance up at Sasuke who was still holding his son close to him. She could see the fear he held behind his eyes, but his face showed nothing. It almost made Sakura's heart hurt for the fact that this man didn't feel comfortably allowing his son to see how he truly feels in front of others—perhaps even when they were alone. Her eyes watered a bit at the thought of never allowing someone to know how much you truly cared for them, never opening up to them until it was too late.

She wouldn't think about that. Kaito was alive and that was all that mattered, though perhaps the thought of almost loosing his child might cause Sasuke to be a little more open with his affection towards his son. She knew if she had a second chance she, sure as hell, would have done so. Sadly she didn't get that second chance.

Tears threatened to roll off her lower lashes so she quickly brushed them away and turned her attention back to the small boy in the hospital bed.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura closed her mouth and was tempted to cover her ears at the horrendous noise that filled the room. Looking towards the door she—as well as the three other occupants in the room—found the source of the noise.

There in the door-way stood a woman who seemed to be all legs and no clothes with black frizzy hair and too much make-up. Sakura's eyes traveled from her gold painted toes all the way up to her painted on eyebrows and found nothing about the woman that she liked.

"Excuse me miss—" Sakura was cut off though as the woman ran into the room, shoved her from the side of Kaito and pressed her rather large chest into the face of Kaito in what seemed to be a hug.

"Sherry he can't breathe." Sasuke seemed to growl at the woman.

"Oh! I'm so sorry dear!" She screeched again, "Your father took off without me, I was lucky to even make it up the stairs after him." She smiled down at the boy and grasped his face in her hands, "You are so fortunate that nothing happened to that handsome little face of yours." She pinched his cheeks before kissing one, leaving a rather large imprint of her red lips behind.

Sasuke just glared at the woman before swatting her hands away from his son.

"Don't look at me like that mister you know good and well—"

"What on earth is going on here?" A voice boomed from the doorway.

Sakura grunted before pushing Sherry out of the way so she could once again take Kaito's pulse.

"This is a hospital ladies and gentlemen, not some airport." All heads—minus Sakura's—turned towards the door yet again, but this time to see two doctors dressed in their white coats and looking rather pissed off.

"We'll take it from here Mina." The nurse that had brought Kaito his food curtsied to the first doctor.

"I'll be down the hall if you need anything Tsunade. Shizune." She bowed to both women before taking her leave.

"Thank you—Sakura what the hell are you doing here!" The large chested woman yelled at the petit woman who coward over Kaito's body, trying desperately to concentrate on his pulse.

When Sakura didn't say anything Tsunade gripped her metal clipboard till she thought it might break.

"Do I have to order you to take another vacation? Don't you think for a moment I won't tell security to throw you out on your rear end for the next month!"

Sakura turned around sharply at Tsunade's words, "No I just—"

"'I just' nothing, go home and get some sleep."

"But I—"

"No. Sakura…" Tsunade stooped herself and took a deep breath, "Hall."

Sakura patted Kaito arm the arm before leaving the room.

"When was the last time you had some sleep?" The two women leaned against the stone wall. Sakura closed her eyes and let out a long heavy breath.

"I mean really slept, not just rested your eyes waiting for your pager to go off?" Sakura just looked down at her feet.

"That's what I thought." Tsunade touched her on the shoulder, "You can't keep doing this to yourself. I know you think it was your fault but—"

"I don't." Sakura cut her off biting the inside of her lip.

Tsunade sighed, "Go home and get some rest." With that she turned and walked back into the room, shutting the door behind her.

Sakura sighed and let her head fall against the wall. The world seemed to move quickly around her as she closed her eyes and fought back the tears. She wasn't going to think about them now, not now, not now. Sakura pushed herself off the wall and made her way out of the hospital.

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Thank you all so very much for your reviews I am very grateful for them all. I should have the next one out sometime next week, I am hoping for Monday but you never know.

-Fino


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto that honor goes to Kishimoto

This story was inspired by a piece of art work _Sorceressmyr_ did. I saw it and knew that I had to do something with it. So yeah for her artwork, the link to her page is on my profile so go check her stuff out they are really awesome!

Also sorry if there are any typos, I try to go over the piece twice everyday that I work on it to make sure there aren't any mistakes, but sometimes I just miss :P

Life for Life  
Chapter 3

-Fino

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Sasuke closed his eyes as he listened to the blond doctor talk to his escort Sherri.

"No ma'ma."

Irrelevant question.

"No ma'ma."

Another irrelevant question.

"Yes ma'ma."

Yet another irrelevant question, did they ever end?

"Are you Kaito's biological mother?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the thin woman in front of her.

The questions stopped and Sherri placed a bone thin hand over her mouth to hide her giggles.

"No I—"

"Then I don't believe I need to be talking to you."

Sasuke smirked as the rather large chested woman turned to face him instead. "Mr. Uchiha?"

Sasuke opened his eyes to look at his son who continued to gobbling down chocolate pudding, oblivious to the world.

"We will be monitoring your son here at the hospital for several more days, but thanks to Dr. Haruno, Kaito should be able to go home at the end of the week. That is if he follows a few rules to insure a speedy recovery." Tsunade smiled down at the boy as she stepped closer to his bed. It was truly amazing to her that this boy, who but twelve hours ago had his heart stop on him, was able to smile and act as if nothing had happened. Haruno really was a miracle worker when it came to children; Tsunade supposed it was because her extensive work in Africa, but who knew really.

Kaito stopped eating his pudding and let his spoon rest on the gray tray-table in front of him before looking around curiously.

"Where is Sakura-san?" His eyebrows pulled together and he chewed on his bottom lip as his eyes gazed around the room unable to find his pink-haired friend.

"Dr. Haruno had to go home for the day." Tsunade smiled at the boy.

"Why did she have to do that?" A silent note of sadness escaped his mouth with his words.

"Well you see it wasn't her day to work. Dr. Haruno hasn't had a good nights rest in a few days. You see our Emergency Room doctors work for 36 to sometimes 48 hours straight so she had to go home and get some rest." Tsunade gave the boys head a slight pat before she readjusted his bed to her liking.

"Oh, so she didn't just leave me?" Kaito looked to everyone in the room for an answer.

"No deary!" Kaito's words hit Tsunade like a bullet train, "She would never leave you; you are too cute to just leave! I had to make Dr. Haruno go home and get some rest so she could come back tomorrow well rested. That way, she can come and see you and you want have to worry about her falling asleep on you and drooling everywhere." Tsunade hoped that line would work and it did. Kaito giggled at the comment about Sakura drooling all over him.

"Good. I like her." He stated matter-of-factly while looking at his dad.

Sasuke just let out a small grunt and shook his head.

"Alright Kaito," Tsunade pushed his tray full of food out of the way, "I am going to need to check those stitches of your's to make sure there isn't any infection okay?"

The boy pouted at the chocolate pudding that was taken away, but nodded his head. Tsunade reached up and pulled his gown down as he leaned back against his pillows. Sherri gasped and turned a nice shade of white before falling back into the chair behind her.

"It appears that Dr. Haruno did I nice job stitching you up Kaito." Tsunade ran her hand along the gash before looking up at the dark haired kid, "I am going to put a little pressure on your cut okay? But I am going to need you to tell me if there is a spot that hurts worse than the others." Kaito nodded and held his breathe as Tsunade's skilled hands slowly made their way from his collar bone to his abdomen.

"Well?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the boy as her hands moved back up his chest.

Kaito shrugged, "It all hurts the same."

"That's good! I don't see any sign of infection, though it has only been about twelve hours. You were quite fortunate to be in one piece after that crash. There's no swelling of the abdomen which is a good sign that all your origins are safe from damage. No tenderness?" The boy shrugged.

"Well then you should be okay, but we are going to run some scans later on today just to make sure that everything inside of you is working properly." Tsunade helped Kaito set up and pulled his robe back over his chest and tied it in the back for him.

"Mr. Uchiha." Tsunade turned to Sasuke as Shizune pushed the tray table back up the Kaito.

"I'm going to write your son a prescription for a low does painkiller for you to take with you at the end of the week. Kaito is young so it want take long for him to heal, but that doesn't mean that it's alright for him to go hanging from the rafters. Even after the stitches are taken out it is important that his physical activities are kept to a bare minimum. That means no horse play for the next month or so, depending on how we think the wound looks." Tsunade gave Kaito a good stern look before turning back to Sasuke.

Sasuke gave a slight nod as he looked down at his son.

"Besides monitoring Kaito's physical activities, you will also need to watch what he eats. It probably won't matter much, but it is still important that while he is healing he is getting food that isn't full of preservatives and extra sugars. Watch out of microwavable foods and things that have lots of sodium in them. Try to stick with foods that are easier to digest and will give his body the energy it needs to heal. Soups and simple carbs like toast are probably your best bet. No cookies or cakes."

At the mention of cake Kaito's head shot up, "What about my birthday party!"

"Until we are certain that your body is healing the way it needs to I would stay away from the cake and ice-cream." Kaito's eyes widened.

"We can do that." Sasuke surprised his son at his words.

"But dad!" The small boy protested, but closed his mouth quickly as his father shot him a hard look.

"Sasuke-kun I've already ordered the cake!" Sherri rose from her chair.

Sasuke clinched his fists and sucked in a long breath, "No means no." His voiced rose just slightly and that was the end of that.

"I'm really sorry Kaito, perhaps you'll be better by the time your birthday rolls around, but until then we can't take any chances." She patted the boy on his arm, "Rest. Mina will be coming back in shortly to draw so blood for blood work and a little something for the pain, but if you need anything just press that green button." With that said Tsunade and Shizune left.

Sasuke glared at Sherri after the two doctors left the room.

"Who dare you question me." His voice was flat as he spoke but his eyes burned with anger.

"I've have been planning this party for months mister! Just because Kaito has a scratch on his belly doesn't mean that he can't eat like a normal human!" Sherri fumed from her place opposite Sasuke.

"This has nothing to do with Kaito!" Sasuke lost it, "You just want to show off to the world the fact that you are planning my son's birthday party!" Sasuke felt the need to punch something.

"He deserves it!" Sherri screamed and flung her arm around to emphasize her point.

"Yeah he needs a bunch of middle-aged bureaucrats celebrating his sixth birthday with him huh?" Sasuke glared at the dark-headed woman, "You just want everyone out there to see you on my arm don't you?" Sasuke snarled and his eyes turned to ice.

Sherri raised her head a little and smirked, "You think you are so important don't you? Well I will tell you something Mr. Uchiha; people come to your parties not because of you, but because of me. Do you know how many clients you have now because they saw me on that well toned arm of yours?" Sherri raised an eyebrow and clinched her jaw.

"Was it because of you or your hem line?" Sasuke rose to his full height.

"Perhaps it was both." Sherri huffed as she crossed her arms under her chest causing her breasts to rise higher in her shirt.

Sasuke just shook his head at the infuriating woman, "Just get out." His eyes darkened at his words.

"Fine, I'll leave; just don't call me the next time your little buddy there can't get up." Grabbing her bag, Sherri huffed out of the room.

Sasuke closed his eyes and turned towards the window. When had his life taken this turn? Was it after inheriting one of the worlds leading security firms? After Kaito came into his life perhaps? Or after Giselle left him with nothing more then a cold bed? He smirked at the irony oh his wife's departure. She had told him for years that she needed him and had soon become his everything. After Kaito's birth—better put, after the lack of Kaito's brothers and/or sisters—things just seemed to fall apart. Kaito wasn't even two when Sasuke woke up to find his bed empty and his wife nowhere. Not but four days after her departure Sasuke was sent divorce papers which he filled out on the spot and returned to sender.

Opening his eyes, dark pools stared out towards the city around them. It was amazing how quickly they had grown apart after just a few short years. One minute they were madly in love, having sex every hour it seemed, and then the next she was trying to run him over with their Cayenne S; man he missed that car.

For a woman that said she wanted nothing to do with him anymore she sure took a lot of stuff in the divorcé. He shook his head at the thought of their cabin up in the Swiss Alps; he missed that place too. It didn't matter anymore though. Sasuke got what he wanted, and that was his son. It surprised Sasuke that Giselle didn't fight for their son, hell she doesn't even have anything to do with Kaito anymore.

Sasuke was shook out of his thoughts as he glanced over to his son; he was crying.

"Kaito…" The small boy sniffled at his dad's calm voice. It was always amazing to Kaito that his father could be so harsh one minute, then so calm the next. Kaito raised his head when he felt his fathers hand on top of it. He couldn't help but let more tears fall as he met his father's eyes.

Sasuke wanted to say something to Kaito to sooth him, let him know it was going to be okay, but he was at a loss for words. He simple gave his son a hug and patted him on the head once more, "Get some rest."

Kaito nodded while whipping away the tears. He knew his dad meant well, but every now and then he wouldn't mind if his dad would just hold him and rock him, tell him that it was okay to cry. Settling down in the pillows, Sasuke pulled the blue blanket up to Kaito's chin before turning to the window and closing the blinds.

For the next few hours Sasuke kept a watchful eye over his son while he preformed his daily business transactions by means of his blackberry. The office was hectic without him there telling everyone what to do, but he wanted to be there for Kaito, at least till he knew his son would be alright.

A knock on the door woke Kaito and pulled Sasuke from his work; it was Mina. She drew some blood, much to Kaito's dislike, and then presented the boy with a wheel chair.

"Tsunade wanted us to run a couple of scans on you just to make sure everything is functioning properly." Kaito, with the help of Mina and his father eased into the wheel chair, "It will probably take about an hour or so, so if you needed to do anything, now would probably be a good time for it." Mina smiled to Sasuke as she wheeled his son down the hall and out of his sights.

"What don't I have to do?" Sasuke ran a fatigued hand through his hair before making his way down to the parking-lot. It was well after lunchtime and a sandwich never hurt anybody and he could swing by the office on his way back. That shouldn't take to long. With a beep from his SLR McLaren he was off.

* * *

Sorry, I needed to get this part out there so I could work on the meaty stuff ;) I bet most of you can already guess the set up of the story, but I'll try to keep you guessing as best as I can.

Thanks for all the Reviews guys, I love them very muches!!!!! They are what keep me going in the wee hours of the morning!

Love you all so very much!

-Fino


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Naruto that honor goes to Kishimoto himself.

This story was inspired by a piece of art work _Sorceressmyr_ did. I saw it and knew that I had to do something with it. So yeah for her artwork, the link to her page is on my profile so go check her stuff out it's really awesome!

**Okay so I started this about three different times and couldn't get the affect and feel I was looking for. I finally went with this one 'cause it covered the most ground without killing my storyline. Sorry for the wait, but as I said I had a tough time getting this chapter to be how I wanted it to be. What made it hard was that it has a lot of filler stuff in it. I would have loved to skip it and get to the juicy part that is in the next chapter, but I just couldn't let it hang like that so here you go and enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!**

Life to Life  
Chapter 4

-Fino

* * *

Sasuke's head hurt. He felt like he was on a wooden roller coaster going way to fast. It pounded with such force that even the simplest task of moving his eyes through a few papers hurt. He groaned and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the cool grass of the window. He had run by the office the day before to check up on some files while Kaito was getting some blood work done but that trip turned into a rather bad idea. Now here he sat in Kaito's hospital room with a stack of files and a killer headache. 

Owning your own company was never easy to begin with but throw an injured son and an incompetent staff into the mix and you come out with the seventh ring of hell. He hated the stress sometimes, but that was what seemed to keep him going for the most part. That feeling of always needing to succeed and never fail. The feeling of working so hard that your whole body felt like it is being torn apart. The feeling of complete and utter power over something; these were the things he lived for, he survived on.

Sasuke ran a tense hand through his hair as he put down one of the last files of the day, they would be bringing Kaito back in a few minutes from his scans. So far they had found no internal damage but his heart had been acting up; this made Sasuke worried.

He felt shot, used up, helpless; he never felt like this. He wasn't suppose to be torn to pieces over his son's abnormal heartbeats; instead he should be informing Kaito on how strong he should be.

It was that woman! It had to be her! That pink haired doctor that came by every so often to check up on his son. This was her doing for every time she came in here bubbling about Kaito with care and nurture she put some hope in his son. She placed something in the boys heart that hadn't been there for a very long time. She brought affection into his son's life and neither he nor Sasuke needed that. They had to be strong on there own; just father and son.

Sasuke gritted his teeth when he thought of the events that unfolded just a few hours ago. Sakura had come in looking to bring some cheer into the usually dreary days of the soon to be six year old. She had found Sasuke instead mulling through paperwork and files; no Kaito to be seen.

"More scans?" Sakura's brows furrowed as she walked into the room surprised that Kaito was not in his bed.

Sasuke merely snorted and went on with the paperwork that lay in front of him on the table. Sakura pretended to ignore his rough demeanor as she took a seat next to him at the small dinning table.

"I don't think I have seen you without some form of paper in your hand since that day Tsunade took over Kaito's chart; though even on that day I am rather sure you made a stop off at the office." Sakura leaned back in her chair and pulled a granola bar out of her pocket.

"Work doesn't stop just because you get a few bruises and scraps." Sasuke shuffled a few papers around, looking through his small reading glasses from one to another.

Sakura chewed thoughtfully at the delicious treat in her mouth before tilting her head to give the dark headed man a thorough look, "A few scraps and bruises? Your son almost dies Mr. Uchiha." It came out a little harsher then she wanted it to.

"Yes, and I am very grateful that he did not, but I cannot simply sit around his room all day doing nothing, especially when there is work to be done." Sasuke spoke through his teeth slightly as he glanced up at her from his paper work. Sakura didn't seem impressed, if anything, his statement just seemed to piss her off more.

"Yes, well I understand that Mr. Uchiha, trust me I do, but when one's son has an abnormal heart beat that sometimes is described as 'pauses, seems to stop, for several seconds before beating once again, but faster as if to catch up' I personally would be doing anything but paperwork." Sakura gestured to the files in front of them, "Most of them aren't even dated for several more weeks!" Fury seemed to rise in her voice.

Sasuke removed his glasses and slammed his hands down lightly on the table, "And just what would you have me do may I ask?" His eyes darkened as they pierced her vision.

"Be there!" She slammed her fists violently on the table causing some papers to fall to the floor.

"I am here!" Sasuke couldn't believe this, he was arguing with a doctor over how he should prioritize his life.

"No you're not! You're in those files, in those papers. Well guess what buddy, those papers will still be there tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that! Kaito might not!"

"Listen here you—"

"No you listen here Mr. Uchiha! Do you now how many parents would kill to be in your shoes? How many parents would love to have a second chance with their child just to tell them I love you one more time?" Sasuke's shoulders slowly relaxed as he was taken back at the sight of tears forming in her eyes.

Who is this woman Sasuke found himself asking.

"Do you know how many parents pray for that one chance, just that one last time to say everything that they should have said and they can't? Do you?" Tears slowly feel from her green eyes. Sakura shook her head and pushed her tears away.

"Don't be one of those parents Sasuke. Don't be one of those parents who cry themselves to sleep every night over unspoken words and ravish in the memory of their loose while they sleep." She looked him in the eye, pleading with him in a foreign language to do something that was not in his nature; care. He was so caught up in the look in her eyes and their vivid demand that he didn't even notice it when she left the room.

Was she right in what she said? Sasuke knew how he felt for his son and what he felt for him while he sat in the lounge, waiting for that pink-haired doctor to come out and break his heart with the news, but did Kaito? Did Kaito know what his father felt for him as he lay in that hospital bed asleep? Did Kaito know the relief that filled Sasuke's heart when he got the call that his son was going to be all right? Did Kaito know that his father's heart spiked a beat every time the heart monitor recorded his own pausing heartbeat? Had he even told Kaito that he loved him since he was in the hospital?

Sasuke growled to himself as he threw the papers to the floor. It was that woman that did this to him. Sakura was her name and she made him care and he hated her for it, even as the tears slid down his face. Yes he hated her for making him feel this way. What made her so damn special anyways? What did she know about loosing the one you love? It was scary and Sasuke was not ready to admit fear even if it was the very thing that pulled at his heart every time they wheeled Kaito out of his room and down the hall.

The tears continued to fall from his brooding eyes until Kaito's smiling face finally graced his them.

Worry filled Kaito's eyes as the nurse wheeled him back into the room and placed him in his bed. Sasuke just stared at his son with unmoving eyes as the nurse hooked him back up to his monitors. The moment she left the room, Kaito was in Sasuke's arms and he wasn't going to let him go anytime soon.

* * *

It wasn't until the beginning of the next week that Sasuke finally signed his son out of the hospital and placed him carefully in the backseat of their car. Tsunade released the boy after his heart finally stabilized for several days and his wound held no infection. Sasuke and Kaito were both excited to be out of the sterile environment of the hospital, especially Kaito who hadn't been outside in nearly a week and a half. 

With strict orders under their belts the duo headed out of the city limits. It wasn't too long of a drive through the back roads to the place where they called home, but Kaito still found it easy to fall asleep in the backseat. Sasuke smiled in his rearview mirror as he looked at his sleeping son through his sunglasses. He was a little worried at first about bringing Kaito back home so soon with his heart acting up but Tsunade assured him that he would do fine so long as they kept to a strict diet and minimal physical activity. She also said fresh air did wonders on the healing ability for kids and staying in hospitals for too long wasn't good for anyone.

Sighing Sasuke pulled into the driveway and parked the car. A man in a black suit appeared at the front door and gave a slight bow.

"Uchiha-sama." The man walked up to Sasuke and took his briefcase.

"Thanks, I'll be taking him straight up to his room. Is everything prepared?" Sasuke ducked down into the backseat and pulled his sleeping son from the car.

"Yes sir, I made sure that his room was prepared as ordered, we also placed you at the end of the hall. Mary brought some clothes from the apartment up yesterday." Sasuke nodded as the door opened and he walked into the small villa that was their summer home.

His shoes clicked lightly on the clay tiles and he made his way towards the steps that lead to the second floor.

"Will there be anyone else dinning with you tonight sir?" The older man bowed at the bottom of the steps.

Sasuke paused, looking at his sleeping son, before turning back to the butler, "No Marcus, it will just be the two of us." Sasuke smiled slightly as he carried Kaito up the stairs and to his room.

* * *

Kaito roused a few minutes before dinner was, snuggled into his father's chest. He smiled at how peaceful his dad looked; even the line in his forehead that always seemed to be present was absent.

A slight knock on the door though brought Sasuke from his sleep.

"Come, come in." He smiled at his son and wiped sleep from his eyes.

"Dinner sir." A maid curtsied to the two.

"Yes! I'm so starved! I hope it's got lots of cheese in it." Kaito would have gone flying off the bed in excitement if it weren't for Sasuke's arm.

"Sorry son, no cheese. Remember what Dr. Tsunade said? We have to watch what you eat for a week or so." Sasuke helped Kaito climb off the bed.

"Man I thought you were just going along with that old hag." The small boy pouted and Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks.

"Just where did you learn that type of language?

"I heard it from Uncle. When he came to visit that one day he and Dr. Tsunade got in a fight and after she left he told me that she was nothing more than an old hag out to kill any good time she could. Why? Is it bad?"

"We don't say things like that about others Kaito." Sasuke sighed in exasperation. 'Note to self: never leave Naruto alone in a room with Kaito ever again.'

"Well you and Uncle call each other names all the time, what's so different about that?" If Sasuke hadn't been helping his son walk down the steps he would have thrown himself down them.

Dinner was nice. Sasuke couldn't recall a time when it had just been the two of them. Sure they eat together all the time, but not like this. There was always work or work or more work, maybe even an escort in there every now and then. This was different though. Kaito and Sasuke actually talked about things they even laughed a little at a few stories Kaito had about the nurses. It was good to see his son smiling. Sasuke tried to remember a time when Kaito looked this happy, but he couldn't think of one. Sure Kaito was a happy kid who enjoyed life as a whole, but ever since his mother walked out on them he had never been the same. It was almost like he was holding something in, afraid that if he let it out, it might get taken away again.

Sasuke knew exactly how his son felt.

The ringing of the house phone brought the two out of their conversation about crayons. Sasuke gave a questioning look to the maid who answered it. Only a handful of people had this number and practically none of them knew that they were coming out here for the next couple of weeks.

"I will inform him."

Pause.

"Yes sir."

Pause.

"Yes sir."

Pause.

"I am sure he would be delighted."

Pause.

"Uchiha-sama?" The maid brought the phone to Sasuke who continued to give her a strange look, "It is the painter?" She questioned more than stated.

Sasuke's shoulders dropped immediately and he reluctantly reached for the phone.

"What do you want?" Sasuke's voice was just slightly harsh.

"Oh come now, what do all friends want?" The cocky voice on the other line tried hard to hide their amusement.

"Sai, the only time you ever call is when you want me to sponsor you on some excursion which you claim is for the purpose of enlightenment. I have yet to see any proof of your escapades." He could feel a migraine coming on.

"I suppose you have me pinned."

"Humph." Sasuke slumped back in his chair as a maid removed the dishes from the table and placed a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream in front of them both. Kaito squealed with joy.

"Slowly." Sasuke warned.

"How is he doing?" Sai's voice was void of concern, but Sasuke knew he was sincere.

"Better. We came up here for some fresh air and some piece and quite." Sasuke pushed the last words rather hard.

"Haha, I see, well don't let me bother your male bonding time. I just wanted to know if you would be interested in seeing some of that proof you say you have yet to see. I am holding a gala at the end of the week up here on the Ridge and thought you might want to come."

"I don't know Sai, Kaito really needs me h—"

"No I don't!" Kaito yelled into the headset. Sasuke glared at his son.

"I promise it will be worth your while. I won't make you stay that long either, just drop in see a few things, listen to a quick speech and you can be on your merry way."

"I'll think about it." Sasuke didn't even listen for a reply before placing the headset back on the receiver.

"You'll think about what?" Kaito eyed his father with mischief.

"Eat your ice cream."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, promise, Kishimoto does.

AN: I cried a lot when I wrote this 15 page long monstrosity, so I toned it down a little.

Thanks for all the reviews guys!

-Fino

Life to Life

Chapter 5

* * *

Sakura pushed the last piece of hair into the elegant headdress that held the rest of her soft pink locks. She looked at her reflection in the mirror with slight annoyance and sighed. She had been sitting in front of the mirror for the past half hour placing each piece of hair into its proper places on her head. She would have much rather placed it in a simple bun, but _they_ had given her this hairpiece and tonight was about them. She touched the ivory looking object in her hair and lowered her eyes to the matching gown she wore. Sadness over took her features and tears threatened to spill from her wonderfully colored eyes down her lightly blushed cheeks. She had to be strong for them; they would not want her to be sad.

A light knock on the door stirred Sakura from her daze. She quickly patted her eyes with a kleenex as a man walked into the room.

"I thought I would find you still in here, and crying no less." The man smirked as he walked over to her side. If Sakura had not know the man for so long she would have punch him for such a cold remark.

"We can't have you messing up that gorgeous face of your's now can we?" The man ducked down and caught her chin in his hand and tilted it up towards him, "Besides it would take you too long to re-do it." She gave her a smile before releasing her face.

Sakura nodded slowly and took a deep breath to compose herself. The man continued to stand beside her as she reapplied her eyeliner and placed a little more gold colored shadow on her eyes. Her hands shook as she tapped the gold color to the skin; she was fighting back the tears. A hand touched hers and took the cream from her hands.

"Sai?" She questioned as the man once again knelt beside her and with a swift and skilled hand brought her eyes back to life.

"Come now." Sai rose to his full height and stretched an arm out to her, "The guests are arriving and I want everyone to meet my inspiration." Sakura looked up at the dark headed man in amazement and wonder. A smile touched her lips and she nodded, allowing him to take her hand. Sai pulled her from her place of rest on the stool to her feet in a fluid motion. Her lace gown pulled at the soft carpet of the floor.

"Just remember, this, this is for them." Courage filled her heart at Sai's words.

"Yes. This is for them." Her smile grew as Sai escorted her out of the room and towards the great hall.

* * *

"You look great dad and don't worry I'll be fine." Kaito didn't even look at his father as he placed yet another piece of his puzzle in place.

Sasuke sighed and pulled at the neck of his shirt, "Mary you really don't have to do this." He looked over at the older woman.

"Posh! As your former governess I insist." The older woman shook a boney finger to the tall man, "Besides he still owes me a game of Remy." She straitened her tweed jacket as she winked over at Kaito who just groaned.

"You are still sour about that?" Kaito tried to look annoyed at the short grey-headed woman but failed.

"Sour? Ha!" Mary scoffed and placed her hands on her tweed-covered hips, "Bitter is a better word. You, my dear boy, cheated."

Sasuke let a deep groan seep up from his throat as the two continued to exchange their light-hearted argument about cards.

"Well thank you anyway." Sasuke straightened his sleeves as he slid his arms into his jacket.

"It is truly nothing Sir. I was actually starting to miss the rugrat." She smiled over to where Kaito sat on the floor before helping Sasuke with his jacket. "Now shoo before you are late." Mary gave his shoulders a gentle brush for all those imaginary pieces of lent before ushering him out the door.

"I won't be gone long!" Sasuke called back.

Kaito had removed himself from his sitting position at the coffee table in the living room to Mary's side, "That's what you always say!" He called to his father with a large grin.

"Behave." Sasuke warned as her slipped into his waiting car.

The two at the door continued to wave until Sasuke's vehicle disappeared into the night.

Mary turned to the boy next to her and sighed, "Well I guess if we are going to be playing some cards, I am going to be needing some liquor." She gave Kaito a pat on the back before shoving him back into the house and closing the door behind her, "Lead on oh fearless brown-nosing apprentice."

Kaito giggled at the Chief House Manager. This was going to be a great night indeed.

* * *

The ballroom hummed with the sound of conversations and piped in orchestra music. Sasuke would never had thought that Sai gala would attract this much attention. As he made his way through the main doors and down the few stairs into the main hall Sasuke noticed that for the most part, he recognized no one; this was different. As owner of one of the nations leading security companies he made it his business to know everyone, but here there were only a few faces that he could put a name too.

Different dialects filled his ears as his eyes continued to scan faces. He could make out a few words as Italian and French reverberated off his eardrum, "That would be why." Suppressing an annoyed grunt, Sasuke shoved a hand in one of his pockets and made his way further into the room in search of the bastard Sai.

Sasuke nodded to a few people as he walked past women in gold and cream colored gowns and men in expensive suits. Sai had said that it wasn't going to be an ordinary black and white, but Sasuke was rather surprised to see that the white aspect had been replaced by gold, cream, and burgundy. Most of the men chose to accent their female companions by donning a similar colored shirt or even jacket. Sasuke, himself, had decided on a simple cream-colored silk shirt that was just a hue or two darker than his own skin color. He might not be the best dresses at the party, but he could say that he was probably one of the most comfortable. Sasuke smiled at the fact that whether it be his shoes or his matching jacket, he was comfortable.

Grabbing a flute of champaign off a tray as a waiter walked past him, Sasuke continued his search of the dark-haired artist.

"Uchiha-sama." A deep voice called from behind. Sasuke turned and found a short round man with a tall brunette on his arm.

"Mayor Donaland." Sasuke smiled and walked up to him.

"It's good to see you out and about my boy." The balding man patted Sasuke on the back, "I heard about that son of yours and was afraid you might not come." Wrinkles filled the man's face as his smiled widened.

"Yes, well you can actually thank Kaito for that." Sasuke sipped on his drink.

"Oh really?" Donaland raised an eyebrow at the younger man.

"Yes, I was actually banished from the house. He said that if I didn't go I would no longer be aloud into the house nor could I eat shells and cheese every again." Sasuke smiled into his glass.

Donaland's laugh filled the room as it boomed from his chest, "I always knew I liked that boy of yours." Sasuke continued to smile to himself as the Mayor found another familiar face and left Sasuke to his own thoughts.

Sasuke slowly pulled himself from his thoughts and focused on what was in front of him with a questioning eye. He slowly took a step closer to the large canvas as if to inspect it. The dark lines of paint moved smoothly across the rough surface in what seemed to be a body reaching out to another one. The red in the background reminded Sasuke of blood, but there was something in the detailed face of the person that was reaching out to the other that was calming. Sasuke stared at the painting for a few more minutes before looking down at the name.

"_Our First Meeting_? Hum, not bad." Sasuke looked down the wall to see painting similar to the one in front of him lining it, "Well what do we have here Sai?" Sasuke smirked as his eyes continued around the room seeing what he had missed at first. There were painting everywhere, most of them small enough to hang above a chest or on hallway, but the key pieces were large enough to take up a wall.

As if to answer his question he spotted the man he had been looking for walking down the very stairs he, himself, had walked down. All heads turned to stare at the man as he made his way into the ballroom. It was Sai that caught Sasuke's attention at first, but it was the woman that stood poised on his arm that held it. Sasuke's breath caught in surprise to see the doctor standing at the top of the stairs, but even more surprised at what she wore. There wasn't much to her gown but lace, silk and the sash that tied up the back of it to keep it in place. The lace covered the majority of her body, flowing to the floor in a weightless effort. It was tight to her body leaving little to the imagination. The color of the lace and silk was the same as her skin so it was hard to tell if you were seeing cloth or skin; Sasuke hoped it was former.

Her lovely pink haired was pulled away from her face and off her neck into a beautifully ornate hair piece that he could see settle over her eyes and continue around to the back. Sasuke was indeed speechless.

"Friends I would like to thank you all for coming! Tonight is a very special night and I am so glad that you are all here to bear witness to it. Please, eat and drink and look around." Sai smiled at the crowd before turning to Sakura and helping her down the stairs.

The hall once again filled with conversation and music as Sai and Sakura made their way through the crowd shaking hands and greeting people as they went. Sasuke sighed as drowned the rest of his drink before grabbing another one from a nearby tray, it was going to be a long night.

His eyes turned to the next painting on the wall. It was much brighter in contrast to _Our First Meeting_. A scantly clad figure held a small child in one arm on her hip and there was another child on her other side holding her hand. All three figures were smiling while quick darker brush strokes swirled around them in what Sasuke presumed to be more people.

"_Standing Out_?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"Not one of my favorites I have to say." A soft voice spoke up from behind him. Sasuke turned to see Sakura smiling lightly, though he couldn't tell if it was at him or the painting.

"Dr. Haruno." Sasuke bowed lightly towards her as Sai walked up to her side.

"Ah Sasuke! Glad you could make it?" Sakura gave Sai a strange glance.

"You know each other?" She asked in surprise.

"Why yes darling we do." Sai's hand sneaked around her waist and pulled her closer, "Sasuke and I go way back." Sasuke felt the need to gag himself at the sight Sai was putting on.

"Really?" Sakura raised her eyebrows in Sasuke's direction.

"Yes, you could also say that he is the man that made all this," Sai's arm made a large sweep of the room, "possible." Sai grinned at Sasuke before turning back to Sakura and placing a kiss on her cheek but paused.

"Wait, now how do you two know each other?" Sai loosened his hold on Sakura's waist and looked at her with questioning eyes.

"Well you see..." Sakura fumbled for the right words before Sasuke interjected.

"She is Kaito's doctor." Sasuke waved the comment through the air and looked around the room in hopes of finding something to take is mind off the woman in front of him. He knew she looked gorgeous but that was not the reason he forced his eyes to focus elsewhere, it was her lack of undergarments. When Sai had his arm wrapped around Sakura, holding her next to him, Sasuke hadn't noticed. However, the instant she pulled away the skin he had hoped was silk and lace turned out to be, well just skin.

"Oh you're the doctor Sakura? Well Sasuke you never told me that!" Sai tried his best to sound hurt, but it didn't work.

"Sai had I known you knew Dr. Haruno I would have mentioned it, but seeing as I didn't, I didn't find it pertinent to relay the information." Sasuke grunted in annoyance.

"I have never known you not to confide in me about all the gorgeous women you meet." Sai almost sounded sad, almost.

"Oh Sai it doesn't really matter now does it." Sakura groaned at the two men and shook her head.

Sai pretended to fight back tears and sniffled a bit as Sakura patted him on the back.

"And I thought you were my friend."

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph." Sasuke groaned and reached for another drink.

"Beside how do you—"

"Oh look it's Jerry! I'll be right back hag, try to keep him out of trouble would you." Sai winked before running off to find Jerry.

Sakura counted to ten in her head before letting out a slow calming breath. She loved Sai to death but that name was getting just a little old.

"So," She turned to Sasuke who had made his way down to the next painting, "You helped Sai out with his art?" She wondered in her head what you were supposed to say to a man who's parenting skills you questioned and insulted.

"I suppose you could say I footed the bill for all his idealistic travels." Sasuke said off handedly as he scrunched his nose up at the painting in front of him.

Sakura nodded her head slowly as if she was going to say something; instead, she grabbed a glass from a nearby waiter.

"_The Womb_? Are these suppose to symbolize something?" Sasuke muttered to himself.

"Actually they are symbolic as well as literal." Sakura bit her lip and stepped up next to the tall man. Sasuke looked over at her with a hooded glance before turning back to the picture.

"What do you mean?" His eyes didn't move from the painting.

"Well, as you can see the woman in the picture is pregnant but the world around her seems to be giving off life as well." She pointed out the brighter colors that littered the canvas.

Sasuke let the information seep in before nodding and continuing down the wall.

* * *

It wasn't until the couple turned to the next wall that Sai appeared, this time poised on a podium stationed on a stage. He thanked everyone for coming once again and talked about the people that had made it possible.

"There are many who have assisted in my travels around the world but the one I am most grateful for is Uchiha Sasuke, without who I would have never found the inspiration for what you see around you.

"Sasuke told me one day that if I wanted to make such a difference in the world that I should start at home, but I didn't want to," The crowd laughed a little, "He then told me to go take a jump off the edge of the world." more laughter.

"I thought he was being funny at first, but it wasn't till I saw the news the next day that I understood what he meant. So I did and I found what I had been looking for all along. Ladies and gentlemen without further adieu may I present to you with great pleasure, Haruno Sakura." The room filled with applause. Sasuke stood dumbfounded, had he missed something? Sakura bowed to him and slowly made her way to the podium where Sai stood clapping and smiling.

"Who are you?" Sasuke whispered as she disappeared more and more into the crowd.

"Thank you, thank you all so very much. I am very happy to be here tonight with you all in celebration of Sai's amazing work. As most of you know he has worked very hard on this exhibition and I, personally, am very grateful." She led the crowd in applause once again. Sasuke found his way to the back wall and watched as she bit her lip in nervousness.

"Most of you may not know who I am and I don't mind keeping it that way." Laughter filled the hall, "But Sai called me up about a month or so ago and told me what he was planning on doing and that he wanted me to speak. However, before I start I am first going to encourage everyone to purchase a piece of this amazing artwork. It tells a story, one that you will soon hear. The money that is used to by the artwork will then go to a non-profit medical foundation in Rwanda and that is where my story ends and another begins.

"When I was 16 years old I had sex with a boy I thought loved me. As most of you might guess, it didn't work out. I had a son and we decided that we both wanted a new start and Africa was the answer. Upon entering Africa I was 17 and my son was barley 11 months old. I had an uncle who worked in a hospital and he got me a job in one of the local clinics. I lived their on a work visa with my son in the safety of Pretoria, South Africa. It was rather nice living there I will say. It wasn't that much different from living here really.

"A few years after moving to Africa I met a female doctor who would change my life. She told me that I had a good eye and a steady hand and that they could use a strong stomach like mine in Uganda. I packed our things and my son and I headed out to Uganda. I learned to practice medicine in canvas tents and in the marshes of Lake Victoria and Lake Edward. By the time I was 20 I had already had 28 people die on my table." Tears began to slowly seep from Sakura's eyes.

"It was hard at first to see all that death at first. We would get many refugees streaming in from Rwanda in need of medical help. There were so many of them, women and children beaten and wounded from the raids. I had never seen such horror, but I knew in my heart that I was meant to be there. My son was the one who actually kept me there. When my son was four, he asked me why the people there always sang. I didn't know what to tell him other than that they wanted too. He shook his head at me and smiled." Tears fell faster down her face, "He said, "No mommy, it's because they still have faith". I knew in that moment that we were meant to stay."

"My mentor soon left after she proclaimed I could save the world on my own; I was 21 soon to be 22 and my heart ached at her parting. Soon after she left I gave birth to my second child, my daughter and that is when Sai entered my life. He appeared on the doorstep of the hospital one day asking for something to do. He soon found himself elbow deep in bodies as we removed the dead from the hospital walls. I don't know if that was what he was looking for when he arrived but it was what he got.

"Sai stayed around the hospital, taking pictures and documenting the deaths in his journal. Many of his sketches are hanging around this very room. Probably the best thing he ever did for me was watch over my children when I would be out in the field or working in nearby villages." Sakura looked down at the podium and touched the shell like piece in her hair. She smiled at the memory of her children running up with it on her birthday.

"We received word that the UN was looking for doctors to assist in the hospitals in Rwanda. I was skeptical to go at first, but they promised me that my children would be protected and looked after. Sai traveled with us to Rwanda; I won't say that it is the easiest thing I have ever done or the smartest." Her breath came fast and Sai stepped up behind her and rubbed her back as her body racked with tears.

"I loved my children so, so much." Sniffle, "You never think that one day everything you hold dear can just be ripped apart." They fell faster. "I had been working at the UN hospital for about a month when I got a call that they needed me out in the field, I was scared at first, but I always remembered what my son said and kept telling myself, your giving them hope Sakura, your giving them hope.

"Sai and I left the compound and my two children behind. My, my son wanted to go but I told him, no, he couldn't. I told him it was too dangerous and he needed to stay there with his sister. He did." Her voice squeaked as she recalled the day to the crowd.

"We were out in the village for several hours when the UN officer that was with us got a call from the compound, they were being attacked and they were starting to bus the refugees out. My heart was beating so loudly I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't see anything, I couldn't remember anything I just know I was running. I don't know when I started to run, but I found myself running as fast as I could back to the compound." Sasuke feared that if the doctor bit her lip anymore that it would blood would soon leak from it.

"I ran, and ran, and ran, and ran. I ran past the burning building that had been my home for the past few months and up the road. There was smoke coming from over the hill." Her head nodded slowly more tears seeped from her eyes.

"I could hear them screaming as I came over the hill. I could hear my daughter yell out my name as she burned. My son was yelling in pain, you see he was trying to protect her from the fire. I could see them! My breath caught and I thought for just an instant that it was going to be okay; you can treat burns easily. It was going to be okay, all I had to do was get them out of the bus." No one in the ballroom moved or dared to breath.

"I kept yelling, 'Mommies coming, mommies coming, just hold on!' but they kept screaming for me. I was so close, so close." Her voice seemed to disappear as her eyes glazed over.

"The bus blew-up and my children came to me. I don't remember how long I held there burnt bodies in my arms or how I got them, but that was all I could do.

"My son ended up dieing from a piece of the bus cutting into the back of his neck, my daughter died from the burns and they both died. They died right there in my arms." She held her arms out as if her two children still lay in them.

Sai rubbed her shoulder and whispered something in her ears. She nodded slowly before turning back to the guests.

"As you can tell this event is very important and close to my heart. I was quite flattered when Sai wrote to me a year after the event and said that he found what he was looking for and that is was me. Looking around this room you might just see paintings, but I see my life and the lives of thousands of people just like you and me. Thank you." Sasuke's eyes widened and his head shot around to the nearest painting. He could see the resemblance now; the women in all the paintings was Sakura.

"And now ladies and gentleman I would like to humble myself to you all. Sai showed me this picture several months ago and told me it was the best photo he had ever taken, yet he couldn't bring himself to look at it. I cried when I saw it, but told him that he had to show it. You see even after the death of my children I continued to work in Africa as a doctor for another two years before coming here to the States. This picture stands for everything that I worked for." She bowed to the audience and walked off the stage.

Sai nodded his head and bowed low in genuine sadness as the satin curtain dropped from its place on the wall behind him. The entire room gasped and the sound of crying soon followed at the sight before them.

A black and white photo of a woman holding two burnt masses opened everyone's eyes. She was covered in dirt and ash, possibly blood, and sitting in the middle of the road in front of a burning bus, screaming in agony. Her eyes were closed and her head turned towards the heavens. Tears smeared her ashen face and her hand gripped the bundles in her arms tightly.

It was after the initial shock of the depictive photo that the people in the ballroom noticed another element to the photo; there were people in the background. Some were running out of the boarded up homes to her side, others simply raised their hands up in prayer. Even a few solders that could be seen removed their hats to the woman and her children.

Sasuke cried as a white blur sped past him.

* * *

Oh Jesus that was long!

I would like to think everyone for reviewing!!!!! I have been meaning to do this but I haven't had a chance yet so here it goes:

**Lioness of the Fire**: Thanks!!! I love the prescription thing, I laughed a lot

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Aiyo Rei: I shall!!!

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I think that covers everyone! And to all those who are reading this I thank you muches as well!!!!!!!

Enjoy life guys and the next chapter should be up soon, I promise!!!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Naruto that honor goes to Kishimoto himself.

This story was inspired by a piece of art work _Sorceressmyr_ did. I saw it and knew that I had to do something with it. So yeah for her artwork, the link to her page is on my profile so go check her stuff out it's really awesome!

Life to Life

Chapter 6

-Fino

* * *

Throughout her speech, Sakura had to constantly remind herself not be break down, not to break down. It worked quite well up until the end where she completely lost it. In fear of others seeing her and taking away from the true meaning of the event, Sakura opted for a quick escape.

So here she sat on the front steps of the lodge, holding her shaking body, and crying. The horrific life changing event happened several years ago, but she still saw the incident play out in her head as if it was yesterday. Pain that she felt nearly three years ago ripped at her heart and tore at her mind.

Tears continued to poor from her eyes, marking her lace gown with gray and gold smudges. Images of the faces of her children played before her as they burned inside the confines of their protective prison. Wire mesh on the widows used to protect the occupants of the bus secured the fate of all those on it that fateful day.

Sakura wondered in her head why she had allowed Sai to show the picture at the end of the speech, but then she reminded herself that it was her idea. Truth be told, when Sai showed her the photograph she had been speechless. Not due to anguish or sadness at the reminder, but at how it seemed so different from the memory she held in her head. She had remembered so much noise and chaos and blood, but the photograph depicted an instance of time, where everything seemed to have stopped completely.

In her head she saw red and fire everywhere, but in the picture you didn't see any of that. It almost seemed that her mind had exaggerated the horrific event, but later pictures of the event that Sai showed her told a different story. Her children had been lucky among those on the bus; she could say that those two fragile bodies she held to her that fateful day in the street had been her children, others where not so fortunate.

Her mind seemed to have imposed all her memories of that day onto that one moment where she found their bodies amongst the dirt and ashes. Sakura closed her eyes again as a familiar smell of smoke filled her nostrils. She was thinking to hard; now she was imagining not only the sounds and sights, but that nostalgic smell of burning tobacco and ash. Tobacco?

Sakura opened her eyes as she heard the silent footfalls of the person behind her. Something warm was placed over her shoulders; she hadn't even noticed her numbing skin.

"It's never a smart idea to go running around in the cold half naked." His smooth voice touched her ear and she smiled sadly, "I thought they taught you those things in the medical field." He dropped down to the steps beside her as he took a long drag of his cigarette.

She looked over at him and raised a silent eyebrow. He continued to stare out in front of them, focusing on nothing in particular.

"Yes, well they also taught us that smoking is bad for you, but everything had a place and time." Sasuke smirked at the statement and handed her his cigarette.

Sakura took a long, shaky drag of the stimulant. Sasuke watched her with intrigue as the smoke slipped from her parted lips into the night air. She took another drag, this time slower, and let the white cloud play with her tongue as she let it pass out of her mouth.

"Thanks." She handed him back the delicately wrapped product, "You wrap you own?"

Sasuke heard the uncertainty in her voice as he pulled the white object to his own lips, "Surprised?" He shot her a look from the corner of his eye. Sakura turned away in slight embarrassment.

"I didn't mean it like that. It's just, I don't know, you just don't see people rolling their own cigarettes anymore." She soon found her hands to be quite interesting. Sasuke made a noise in his throat that sounded almost like a mix between a snort and a scoff.

They sat there for a bit longer, Sasuke smoking and Sakura playing with the lace of her dress, before Sasuke leaned back on the steps and moved his gaze to the night sky.

"Sai brought it back from one of his many travels around the globe, the tobacco that is." He shot a look over at the pink haired woman next to him. She looked over in his direction and he took it as a cue to continue, "I had smoked a few times when we were in college together so he thought it would be a good gift. Sadly he didn't think about my wife or our slightly asthmatic son." He smiled slightly to himself as he looked at the cigarette in his hand, "But things change and I found that I began to enjoy a personally wrapped cigarette after a particularly trying day." He pulled one last drag of the cigarette before tossing it out into the world.

Sakura just sat there staring at him in awe, if he noticed he didn't say anything. Slowly Sakura pulled herself from her stupor and looked up at the stars above them and smiled slightly, "This was always my favorite time of the year." Sakura pulled the jacket Sasuke had placed on her shoulders closer and sighed, "In Africa, on clear night like this, you could see to the end of the universe."

A warm silence weaved between the two as they sat there on the stone steps of the lodge. Warm light from the hall filtered through the glass panes and cast flickering shadows in the drive just feet from their perch.

Sakura turned her eyes towards the silent man next to her. He just sat there as if he was meant to exist just for that moment, that instance of time. She shook her head and smirked at the irony. Here this man, quiet and content, sat, handsome, successful, _married_—she cringed internally at that thought of fate—next to her, a broken, boring, workaholic.

Funny, she though to herself, she had not seen a ring on his finger at the hospital, nor a female contact on Kaito's hospital forms. Sighing at her misfortune she slowly focused once again on the captivating man that sat next to her, she had only known him a few days and barley at that, but she couldn't help but not think of him as anything but perfect. It was strange, she wasn't really upset at his lack a parenting skills, somehow she found herself overlooking that detail and simply enjoying how his eye flickered with thoughts as he stared at the heaven above them.

"It's impolite to stare." A smirk crossed his pale features as his eyes flickered with a hint of mischief. Sakura blushed at being caught and turned quickly away from him.

"I was, I was just wondering if you had gotten those stitches taken out." Sakura found a rather interesting rock on the step next to her. Sasuke slowly turned to face her and allowed his eyebrows to rise before thinking on her question; he hadn't.

"Hun." He huffed before turning away from her.

"You really should get those taken out; they've been in there long enough." She pointed out as she straitened up. Sasuke looked down at his arm; the silk sleeve concealed the white bandage that protected the wire thread from snagging on clothing. Looking back up at her, Sasuke gave her a small huffing nose and then turned back up to the sky.

"You can keep them in for at long as you like I suppose, but its not recommended. For the most part our bodies will push out the wire as it heals, but every now and then I see patients who's skin began to grow up and around the invasive object. When that happens we usually have to surgically remove the objects." A smile spread across her face and her shoulders shook lightly with the laughter she tried to contain, "It's a good thing we have that surgical glue to use now, or else they would just get stitched back up and probably forget again."

Sasuke hide the smile that pulled at his lips as silence feel between them once again.

Lights of an upcoming vehicle flashed in their eyes as it pulled into the drive and up to the stairs. Sasuke rose and patted out his pants as a small man stepped out of the car and walked around to the other side.

Sakura watched almost mournfully as he stood and slowly walked down the few remaining steps to his car, "Leaving so soon?" Sakura hadn't meant for the words to escape her lips nor for them to sound so forlorn. Sasuke slipped a hand into his pocket and glanced over his shoulder.

"I promised Kaito I wouldn't stay out late." Why he hold her, Sasuke would never know. He did know that it took a lot of will power to leave her on those steps by herself. He kicked himself mentally for being so brash towards her before in the hospital, but that couldn't change anything now. Sasuke supposed that's why he came out and sat with her to begin with, maybe it was his way of apologizing; setting there trying to make conversation with an almost complete stranger.

Sasuke turned back towards his car and reached for the handle, but paused at the words that filled his ears.

"I'm sorry." Sakura noticed his pause and looked down, "For what I said to you at the hospital. You're not a horrible dad." She smiled brightly at his back, "They are both very lucky to have you in their lives." Her smile faded slowly as she watched him nod before getting in his car and driving away.

Sakura didn't even relies she was crying again till her hand reached up and wiped the wetness from her face.

* * *

It was late when Sasuke closed the door and pulled off his shoes in the dark hallway. He silently stalked passed the living room where he heard the familiar sound of Mary snoring and smiled. Making his way towards the kitchen, Sasuke poured himself a glass of milk and made his way up the stairs to where Kaito slept.

Soft breathing could be heard as Sasuke opened the door to his son's room. He smiled to himself as he walked to his son's bedside and untangled the boy's limbs from their prison of sheets. Sasuke picked up the stuff giraffe that had fallen to the floor and placed it in Kaito's needing arms before running a loving hand over his son's head.

* * *

"Night." He whispered as he kissed his son's forehead and tucked the covers securely about the small boy's body.

"Uchiha Security Corp how can I help you?"

Pause.

"He's not in today may I take a message?"

Pause.

"Uchiha Security Corp how can I help you?"

Pause.

"You want a what?" Sasuke's secretary sighed in disgust at the request and quickly went to the next line.

"Uchiha Security Corp how can I help you?"

Pause.

"No, I'm sorry he isn't in today, may I take a message?" Susan was sure if she had to do this for another hour she was going to blow a gasket. Sasuke never left work for anything, so when he told her that he would be working from home for the next few weeks she was rather surprised. He told her to take messages for him and if they seemed extremely important to contacted him at the villa.

What she thought would be a simple operation turned into a chaotic mess; she had forgotten about all the calls her boss received on a day to day bases from annoying women who simply wanted to screw him.

Sighing once again, Susan stared at the plethora of blinking lights on her phone and growled before pressing one of them.

"Uchiha Security Corp how can I help you?"

Pause.

"No he doesn't do house calls." This was going to be a long day.

Just about that time a long-legged vixen entered the plush office suit and be lined it for the large double doors that lead to Sasuke's office.

"He's not in today Sherry." Susan didn't even look at the trashy looking woman; she knew if she did she might vomit.

"Uchiha Security Corp how can I help you?"

"Wha-What do you mean he's not in? He's always in!" The tall woman pulled her large sunglasses from her face in anxiety.

"Please hold." Susan truned towards Sherry, "Just what it sounds like, he isn't here today." Susan gave Sherry a look of annoyance before turning back to her phone.

Sherry looked around the bustling office in utter stupor; Sasuke never took off work, not for anything.

"Uchiha Security Corp how can I help you?"

Pause.

"Good morning sir." Susan perked up at the sound of Sasuke on the other line, "Yes sir." She grabbed a piece of paper and began scribbling notes on it frantically, "Yes sir, I can do that." She wrote more. "Not a problem sir. Will Do." Susan nodded a few times before doting the piece of note paper with her pen rather violently, "Consider it done sir. Alright, take care." She switched her head-piece off and opened the drawers of her desk, pulling out a phone book.

Sherry watched from her position by the doors as the petit secretary scribbled down what looked to be a number. Susan then dialed those numbers on the phone and waited.

"Yes I would like to speak with a Doctor Haruno." Sherry's eyes darkened in curiosity, "Yes Doctor Haruno, this is Susan Bell. I am calling for Sasuke Uchiha. Yes." Susan laughed a little before picking up the note in front of her.

"Yes well he wanted me to call and set up an appointment to meet with you, he said you would know what he was talking about." Susan nodded before bursting out in laughter again, "I couldn't agree more, I am rather certain that it is all men in general." She laughed again.

"He also said he had another thing he wanted to discus with you, so you might want to a lot for a bit more time." Susan nodded and scribbled something down on her piece of paper, "I will let him now, thank you so much Doctor Haruno." Susan pressed another button on the phone and opened up her calendar.

"Yes, Uchiha sir, Doctor Haruno said she had all afternoon free today if you wished to stop by, if not she wouldn't be able to work you in for another week or so."

A few minutes later Susan hug up the phone and sighed, "As I said before Sherry…" Susan stopped short when she noticed the hussy of a woman was no longer standing in the room. Shrugging any thoughts of Sherry off Susan went back to answering the phone.

* * *

"Yes I am looking for Doctor Haruno." Sherry leaned over the nurse's station as she batted her long lashes at the poor male nurse.

"Well, if you go down the hall there will be a group of office suits to the left." The young man stood up and leaned in to her as he pointed down the hall, "Go in there and her office will be the last one on the right." He winked at Sherry as she bit her lip and thanked him.

A knock on the door brought Sakura from her reading, "Come in." She called from her couch.

Sakura was surprised none the least to see the tall, black-haired woman walk through her doorway.

"Hi, Doctor Haruno." Sherry made her way quickly across the room and held out her hand. Sakura stood and greeted the thin female.

"Please have a seat." Sakura motioned for the couch as she walked over to her desk, "What can I do for you, Sherry wasn't it?" Sakura seated herself.

"Wow, yes." Sherry put on her best face and placed her small rump in the large chair. "Well I know that my darling Sasuke is going to came and see you today about certain things, but I wasn't for sure if he was honest with you when he told you what he wanted to see you about." Sherry tried to sound as concerned as she possibly could.

"He did mention he had something he wanted to discus with me that he wouldn't disclose—" Sakura's words were cut short by Sherry who nibbled on her bottom lip anxiously.

"I figured that much." She raised her hands in a surrendering manner, "I told him that it's nothing to be ashamed of, it happens to lots of men you know. But no, he is so stubborn about things like this." Sherry sniffled a bit.

"I'm sorry, I don't quite follow you." Sakura knitted her brows at the sniffling woman.

"He has a slight," Sherry paused and looked around nervously before leaning in towards Sakura's desk, "erection problem." The words slip through her red lips quietly.

"Oh." Sakura was rather surprised at the information and sat straighter in her chair.

Sherry huffed a little before turning back towards Sakura, "I told him on several occasions that he needed to have it looked at just incase he caught something—you never know with all those women. Hell I even had a hard time going down on him without knowing for sure." Sherry shook her head, "But I just wanted you to know, that way you could be better prepared." Sherry stood up.

"I'm sorry Sherry." Sakura rubbed her forehead in hopes that it would stop the mental images from forming, "You said women?"

"Yes, after that wife of his ran out on them, he went after anything he could find. I was kind of ticked at first when he came on to me, but," She shrugged and smiled wickedly, "It has been worth it, I mean pretty soon I'll have a ring on my finger and a different last name." With that Sherry walked out of the room leaving a slightly agitated, slightly bemused, Sakura behind..

"Take that you bastard." Sherry muttered as she walked down the hall and out of the hospital.

* * *

"Doctor Haruno's office?" Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets and waited for the direction to manifest from the nurse's mouth.

"Down the hall and to the left." The short nurse sighed as she spoke, "Would you like me to—" She reached out to Sasuke as he walked off.

"I'll be fine thanks." That was the fourth nurse he had asked directions from since the guy at the nurses' station didn't seem to be very helpful. Grumbling to himself, Sasuke hoped that this was the right way; he didn't think he could put up with any more wistful nurses or candy stripers. Sasuke sighed and walked off down the hall looking for some sign of his destination.

A sign on the wall caught his eye. _Office Suite: Doctor Haruno D._

"Finally." Sasuke turned down the office hallway towards the last door on the right which had _Haruno_ etched on a metal plate. Sasuke gave the door a quick knock. When he heard a noise that sounded like permission, Sasuke opened the door and walked into Sakura's office. He was rather surprised, to say the least, at the room before him. From the outside he figured the room to be small, maybe big enough for a desk and a few chairs, but once inside he found himself slightly amazed. The size of the office stood in comparison with his. The large walls of the room were lined in oak book cases, all covered in an assortment of books and momentous.

"Mr. Uchiha." Sasuke looked to the desk where Sakura rose from. It sat in front of a large bay window looking out to the mountains behind.

"Doctor Haruno." Sasuke nodded sharply. Sakura motioned towards one of the chairs in which he could set in. Sasuke smirked to himself as he neared the chair when he saw the black jacket neatly folded and placed across the arm. Picking up the article of clothing Sasuke gave Sakura a nod of gratitude before taking a seat.

"So you decided to take my advice." Sakura allowed one delicate eyebrow to raise in his direction as she moved around the desk to set on it directly in front of him.

"Hun." Sasuke nodded slowly.

"Well let's get started then." Sakura stood up and grabbed the hospital gown that lay in the opposite chair, "Put this on and we'll get down to business." Sasuke gave her a questioning look before turning his attention to the blue gown in her hand.

"Take it." It was more of an order than a suggestion.

Sasuke looked up at Sakura one last time before yanking the offending object out of her hand. She smiled and moved around to her desk and pilfered through a drawer.

"You can change in the bathroom over there and I'll get everything set up." Sasuke stood and walked over to the bathroom, trying to figure out what he needed the gown for, but he wasn't about to argue; there was something in her tone that encouraged him not to.

When Sasuke came out of the bathroom clad only in his sock, underwear and the blue gown, he was amazed to see the blinds of the window pulled shut with a curtain and Sakura setting two stirrup like things on the raised leather bed that he had thought originally to be a couch.

"You'll have to take those off as well Mr. Uchiha." Sakura spoke without looking at him as she tightened the stirrups into place. Sasuke was glad that the blinds had been drawn and the lights of the room still dimmed because a slight blush creped up his face at her words.

"Excuse me." Sasuke surprised himself that he could find words in his embarrassment, but set his jaw in hopes that it would give her the impression that he would do no such thing.

Sakura straightened up and faced the tensing man, "Your shorts. You'll have to take them off." Sakura placed her hands on her hip and gave him a look that dared him to fight her.

Sasuke stood there for a minute fuming at her request. Sakura simply raised an eyebrow at his reluctant, "Would you like for me to call a nurse?" Sasuke could have sworn he saw mischief flicker across her eyes. He waited a few more minutes before sighing in defeat.

Sakura smirked to herself as she walked over to a wall and flipped a light switch. Light filled the room as Sasuke slipped his boxers off his narrow hips and down his legs. Picking the discarded article up off the floor he folded them and placed them in the chair before walking over to leather table where Sakura stood. She patted the top of it, giving Sasuke the cue to hop up so they could get started.

Sasuke slowly pushed himself up onto the table so that he sat on the edge of it with his feet dangling about a foot or so off the ground.

Sakura rolled her hair up into a bun and placed a pair of gloves over her delicate hands. Sasuke watch her carefully as she untied the back of his gown and pulled the neck part down and over his afflicted shoulder. Sakura felt his gaze on her and tried as hard as she could to suppress the great need to run her finger tips over his smooth skin. Gathering her will power, Sakura peeled the gown down his arm so she could remove the bandage that incased the stitches.

Carefully she unwrapped the gauze from his arm, being mindful of the wire that poked through the bottom few layers. It was Sasuke's turn to suppress an urge as her fingers caressed the underside of his arm and his ribcage. It didn't help much either that he was naked and in a rather vulnerable position—both of which he was never keen on.

Once the gauze was removed Sakura picked up a pair of scissor like objects and tweezers. Sasuke swallowed hard as her fingers once again brushed against the tender skin of his arm. Damn it to hell.

Sakura worked the threading out of his arm carefully, so carefully to be exact that Sasuke didn't relies she had finished till she removed her warm hand from his arm.

"There, all better." Sakura inspected the closed wound a bit more before pulling his gown back up to his neck and tying it in place. Sasuke nodded his head and made a move to slide off the table but was caught by Sakura's hand on his chest.

"You said you had something else you needed to talk about." Sakura easily manipulated the stunned man into scooting back on the table. With her hand still firm on his chest she directed his feet up onto the table and helped him turn so that he could lie down.

"Yes, yes I did, but I was thinking it might be better to talk about it over coffee or something." Sasuke tried his best to sound composed as Sakura adjusted the section of the table behind him so that he could set up better.

At his statement though Sakura removed her hand and started at him as if he had grown another head, "Really?" She chocked out and swallowed hard. Did he just say he wanted to discus _this_ over coffee? Sakura blinked a few times and thought back to what Sherry had said about the other women. At that reminder she straightened up and took on a colder demeanor. If he thought she was going to sleep with him over a cup of coffee, he had another thing coming.

"Well I don't drink coffee." She turned from him and walked to where his feet dangled off the other end of the table between the stirrups.

"Oh." Sasuke swallowed hard, "We could get some cider or something then." Why was he so nervous? It wasn't like she was going to—Sasuke's eye's widened as Sakura picked up each foot and placed it—none to gently—in its corresponding stirrup.

"What are you doing exactly?" Sasuke pushed the sentence out of his mouth like one might push out a child from the womb; painfully. What made it so was the draft that brush ever so slightly between his legs as his gown was lifted and he was exposed to the jade eyes of the woman in front of him.

"I know how it can be sometimes with all those women around you and what not." Did Sasuke hear some venom behind those words?

"I'm sorry I don't quite—" Sasuke hissed as his balls were rolled in between the digits of the doctor.

"Don't worry, Sherry came by and told me all about your problem. I will tell you though; it doesn't look like it is the result of any type of STD." Sakura's head disappeared between his legs and Sasuke found it difficult to breathe.

"Wait, wait, wait…" Sasuke was trying to form a coherent thought in his head, but it didn't seem to be working. He hissed again as her fingers gently palpated his testicles.

"Seems to be fine there." Sasuke sucked in what little breath he could as he felt her hand move to his penis.

"Okay." He pushed himself up off the table.

"Mr. Uchiha I'm simply examining your—" Sakura gripped his thigh with her unused hand as he struggled to set up.

"At this point I don't really care what you are doing, just stop." Sasuke huffed out finally. Sakura blew a loose strand of hair from her face and gave him a thoughtful look before speaking.

"I know it can be rather embarrassing, especially for someone as young as you, but lots of men have erectile problems. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Sakura growled as she added her elbow and shoulder into the mix of holding the disgruntle man down on the table.

"Stop it!" Sasuke didn't mean to shout or slam his legs closed, trapping her hand between his leg. Sakura raised an eyebrow at him and Sasuke growled at her.

"Fine, I'll stop." Sakura snorted as she tried to free her captured arm.

"Let go." She tugged on her arm, but Sasuke just tightened his grip, "I said let go." Sakura pulled harder but Sasuke just glared at her.

"Not until you tell me why Sherry was here and why you assume that I have a dysfunctional penis." Sakura stopped struggling at the tone of Sasuke's voice, he sounded pissed.

"She came by not to long before you showed up, saying that you wanted me to give you a once over. She said, in laymen's terms, that you hadn't been performing up to par." Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust at him as she tugged on her arm.

"And you believed her?" Sasuke asked as he let up on the pressure holding her arm in place.

"Maybe." Sakura pulled her free arm out from between his legs.

"She was at the hospital with you and Kaito told me that she was your girlfriend." Sakura stepped back from between Sasuke's spread legs.

Sasuke gave her an annoyed look before shaking his head and snorting. He sat up on the table and caught Sakura's eyes in his gaze, "She really said that my lack of performance could be due to an STD?" Sasuke asked in disbelief a few moment later.

"Yeah she, she said that you slept around a lot after your wife left—" Sakura cut herself off as the realization hit her hard, "I'm sorry about that the other night as well, I didn't know you were divorced." Sakura bit her lip and looked down at the floor. A large sigh escaped Sasuke's chest before he started to scoot his body off the table..

"Do you still want to go grab some cider?" Sakura asked timidly.

Sasuke blinked once, twice at her before shaking his head and smirking, "I don't drink cider." Sakura's shoulders dropped.

"But I do drink coco."

* * *

Oh may gosh!!!! Sorry it took so long guys, my computer died on me yet again sigh it was a sad day indeed.

But I want to say thanks to everyone who has reviewed and what not so far, it really makes me excited when I go to my mail box and I see e-mails and reviews so thanks bunches!!!!

Hopefully I'll have the next one out in a week or so!

-Fino


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Naruto, that honor goes to Kishimoto himself.

Life to Life  
Chapter 7

-Fino

* * *

"Let me see if I understand you correctly." Sakura placed her cup of coco on the table and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. "Your parents hire escorts for you?"

The dark-haired man simply nodded as he took a sip of his hot beverage.

"That's kind of—" Sakura was at a loss for words. It was a slightly strange and disturbing concept, but yet she found humor in it as well.

"I take it Sherry was your, now former, escort?" Sakura smirked at the brooding man across the table who simply nodded in disgust. The look did not go undetected by the doctor who continued to stare until he sighed in defeat.

"It's a long story." Sasuke gave Sakura a long look. Sakura smiled before reaching into her purse and pulling out her pager and phone.

"I've got time." Sasuke stared at the doctor in amusement as she turned both devices off.

"Are you sure it's alright for a doctor to turn off their phone and pager?" He lifted an eyebrow and took a sip.

Sakura looked down as if ashamed, but shot him a grin and winked. "Tsunade just sent me a message about a cup of coffee; I've got plenty of time"

Sasuke sighed and took another sip of his hot beverage. "Sherry was the 9th escort I've had over the past 4 years, but they have all been the same. She was just as money-grubbing as the last one. The only thing that made her worse was the fact that money wasn't enough. She wanted to sleep with me, spend the night up at the villa, plan Kaito's birthday party. She just wanted more than what she could have."

"It got to the point where I couldn't take her anywhere without her telling someone that I was buying her a ring next week and the wedding was going to be next spring." Sasuke sighed in frustration and ran his hand through his hair.

"I never even liked the women, but my mother swore up and down that she looked good on my arm and that was all that mattered. What makes it worse is the fact that it's all just a let down." Sasuke looked out the window with a thoughtful stare. "These women come to me full of false hopes, praying that I'll fall head over heels for them and whisk them off their feet. There are on fairy tale endings in my book, and I would be lying to any women if I told her I would try." Sasuke tilted his head slightly to look at Sakura.

"Is that what upsets you the most?" Sakura questioned

"Hum?" Sasuke turned to her fully.

"These women your parents hire getting the wrong idea about their purpose in your life." Sasuke nodded.

"I could understand that. Hell I would hate to be lead to believe something that would never happen, but, I don't know." Sakura shook her head; it was her turn to look out the bay window. "It's kinda nice." A large grin spread across her features, "In a deranged sort of way." Her eyebrows twisted with her humor laden voice; Sasuke just rolled his eyes. Sakura simply shrugged at his annoyed look and continued.

"I mean, yeah it's weird and creepy that your parents are that interested in your personal life, but it's nice that your parents are still looking out for you like that." Sakura turned her gaze from Sasuke to the table.

"You should know by now that parents will do just about anything for the happiness of their children."

"I guess mine are just over achievers," Sasuke muttered into his cup. He soon choked on the chocolate liquid as Sakura's laugh rang loudly out of her body.

"You have a rather dry sense of humor." Sakura continued to laugh as Sasuke took a napkin to his nose to halt the beverage from leaking out of it.

Sakura continued to laugh to herself as Sasuke glared at her until she heard a childish ring tone filter through the air. Sasuke turned quickly to his coat pocket and fished for his phone. Sakura covered her mouth, but her eyes still danced with laughter when she heard the famous _Hamster Dance_ blaring in Sasuke's hand.

"Is everything okay?" To most listeners, Sasuke's voice held anything but concern, but Sakura noted it enough that she stopped laughing and leaned in towards Sasuke. His shoulders relaxed a little and he sighed as the voice on the other end reassured them of something.

"Okay, that's fine. I'll be sure to pick some up on my way home." Sasuke rubbed his neck with his free hand.

"Alright." There was a slight pause and Sasuke stopped rubbing the stress from his neck. "Fine." He sighed before placing the phone in front of Sakura who blinked several times at the object. "He wants to talk to you," Sasuke sighed with annoyance as he pushed the phone in her face.

Sakura hesitantly took the phone from Sasuke's hand and brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" Sakura wasn't really sure what she should say, but 'hello' seemed to be a good start.

"You're coming to the party right!" Kaito's voice burst through the speaker of the phone and Sakura winced.

"Excuse me?" Sakura smiled meekly into the device.

"My birthday party silly! Remember I invited you when I was in the hospital? We'll have cake and ice-cream and there will be presents and decorations. It will be a lot of fun and you should come!" This boy was too excited for just having major surgery.

"Well I don't know about the cake and ice-cream part, but I'll see what I can do—"

"Great! I'll make sure dad gets you a hat too." Sakura winced again as a loud crash sounded and then the phone went dead.

She handed it back to Sasuke who sighed. "I better get going; there's no telling what he's gotten into while I've been gone." He stood and put on his coat before turning and helping Sakura with her own.

"Thank you." Sakura smiled as she grabbed her purse. "Oh, by the way, when is his party?"

"This Saturday. Some of the kids from his class are coming over at 4 that afternoon, but you don't really have to come." Sasuke opened the door of the coffee shop and the two made their way outside.

"No, I would love to come, really. It's been a while since I've gone to one and I'm sure you would enjoy it a little better if you didn't have to watch a bunch of kids on sugar highs all by yourself." Sakura dug into her bag and pulled out a pen and paper. "Just tell me where." She winked at the defeated man as he wrote down the address of the villa.

"I'll be there at 3 to help you set up." Sakura tucked the paper back in her bag and sent Sasuke a wave as she turned to walk back to the hospital.

"You don't—" Sasuke called out after her retreating back, "have to." He sighed in defeat before making his way to his car

* * *

Hey guys sorry it took forever this time to get it out, I promise the next one will be with in the next few weeks.

Thanks to everyone for your reviews they have helped a lot.

I would also like to thank Katiesquilts for her beta skills, love you girl!!!!!

-Fino


	8. Chapter 8

So far I've seen you do all this stuff that your family wants you to do, but" she paused and turned to him, "What do you want to do

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Naruto, that honor goes to Kishimoto himself.

Life to Life  
Chapter 8

-Fino

Sakura scrubbed feverishly at her arms with the loofa. The scolding water of the shower poured down on her in blankets, helping wash the red residue from her body. The harder she scrubbed the faster the tears came and the more vibrant the images played.

It just had to happen on this Saturday of all Saturdays. Her shift had technically ended 6 hours ago; just enough time to shower and take a quick nap before heading off to Kaito's party. Sadly a bus full of prisoners from the state-pen and a semi weren't on the same schedule.

They had been rolling bodies in all morning and there just wasn't enough help. Sakura had stayed to help out in the blood bath that filled the ER; sure she had already worked a 23 hour run so what was another hour or so—the bodies never stopped coming.

Fatigue had never really gotten to Sakura, especially when she had her adrenaline running, but her temper was something she was never to good at keeping under control no matter how much yoga she did. When she noticed several of the ER doctors doing second hand work on some of the patients she lost it. Tsunade was on her in a flash yelling at her to calm down, but when the inmate on the table jumped off it—he was suppose to be under anesthesia—and pulled _her_ arms into his opened abdominal cavity she couldn't help but to punch the other doctor in the face.

Tsunade sent her home, but the damage was already done; she had the words of the rambling inmate imbedded in her head, "_Why can't I feel my legs! Why can't I feel your hands! Why!"_

Why!

Why!

Why!

The sound of her fist hitting the tilled walled resonated through the bathroom.

Why was an excellent question, one of which she had yet to find the answer to.

It took Sakura several more minutes to compose herself in the shower before she turned off the water and stepped out into the steamy room. She didn't bother to wipe the mirror clean and look at herself; she knew she looked like shit.

Of all days.

She cursed silently to herself and roughly dried off her body and walked out into her room. It was significantly colder in her room then in the bathroom, but she didn't have time to worry about her prickling skin, she had to get dressed.

She threw on a bit of make-up to hide the swelling under her eyes and pulled her now slightly damp hair into a messy-bun before grabbing the colorfully wrapped gift off the counter. She checked herself once in the mirror by the door before gently placing the package in her satchel, grabbed her keys and walked out the door.

* * *

Sasuke sat on the couch with his son, both arms resting on the back of it. It was almost three and Sakura wasn't here yet; not that he had been checking his watch every few minutes or so. It was all Kaito's fault really. He was the one that kept ask—

"What time is it now dad?" Sasuke sighed and pulled his wrist over to his son so he could see, "Its five till. Where is she?" It had taken all of the young boy's strength to set on the couch next to his father and wait for the pink-haired doctor. Sasuke doubted that Kaito's asking about the time every other second wasn't helping keep his kicking legs from touching the floor and running to go find her himself.

Sasuke pulled his wrist back and let it fall to his lap, "We can't start decorating without her!" Kaito started to sound frantic and Sasuke sighed again. It was certain a positive that his son didn't get his excitable nature from him.

"I'm sure we can fair rather well by ourselves Kaito, we do have Mary to help us out you realize." Sasuke motioned to the kitchen where Mary was at preparing some of the snacks.

Kaito made a disgusted face, "She's to old to help with decorating. Knowing her she'd probably hang black streamers all over the house then call it quits."

"What's wrong with black?" Sasuke looked at the plates and napkins his son had picked out for the party.

"Nothing, so long at it has Batman on it. It's supposed to be a birthday party dad, not a wake." Kaito stated a little too matter-of-factly, but Sasuke had to nod in agreement.

They sat in silence for a few more moments before the roar of an engine brought them both back to life. Kaito quickly jumped off the couch and made a sprint for the door, but Sasuke caught him carefully around the shoulders to halt such movements. Kaito whined at his father's hold and sulked into the embrace when he realized that his strugglings were getting him nowhere.

"But dad…" He pouted as his father lifted him up in his arms.

"No 'buts'. It wouldn't do us any good for her to see you running around here like a bat out of…well anyway it's never fun to be scolded on your birthday. Heaven forbid you actually pull your incision open and then we'd both be in big trouble." Sasuke shook his head and walked, with his son in arm, to the door just as the bell sounded. He looked down at his son, who in turn looked up to him with hopeful eyes. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat as he placed Kaito back on the ground so he could open the door.

You would have thought Santa Clause was standing on the other side of the door from the look Kaito had on his face. Sasuke's world seemed to stop at the sight of the joy on his son's face. It had been a long time since he had seen his son so naturally happy.

Kaito through open the door to the jean-clad woman, "You're late." He scolded her, his smile quickly fading into a fake look of disappointment which Sasuke caught, but Sakura thought it was the real thing.

"I know and I am so sorry." Before she could get her apology out Kaito had his arm firmly wrapped around her waist with the smile back on his face.

"You're forgiven." Sasuke watched as the shock seeped off Sakura's distressed face and be replaced by something he couldn't quite recognize. He continued to watch as her arms slipped up from her sides and loosely wrapped around his shoulders. She slowly looked up to see Sasuke staring at them from the door. He couldn't help but smirk at her as his sons grip tightened before letting up.

"Come on. We've got a lot of work to do." Kaito grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her through the doorway and into the house.

* * *

Nearly six hours after her arrival Sakura popped and stretched her back before returning back to the job of picking up paper plates and cups. Having to chase one or two six year-olds around was fun, but twenty was like swimming the Panama Canal at the height of mosquito season.

She arched her back again and several more pops and cracks echoed of the stone floors. She gently kneaded her fingers into the knots that lined the small of her back. A small moan escaped her lips as she hit a tender spot. It hurt to push on it, but the resulting pain felt good because the pressure was being relieved.

Sakura grunted as she tried to dig harder into the spot, but it was at a rather awkward position in her lower back. She bent a twisted but to no avail, she just couldn't get to it properly.

Sakura sighed in defeat and turned her attention back to the mess of paper around her. She nearly jumped out of her skin as a set of warm hands rubbed into the small of her back. Before she could turn her head to see who had snuck up behind her and give them the what-for one hand moved up to her neck and shoulder area and kneaded the tight muscles. The other hand remained in her lower back, working at the spot she couldn't reach.

'Oh dear Lord…' That was the only thought that Sakura could gather together in her brain at the moment. Her eyes closed and she sighed as the hands applied more pressure to her aching back. Oh, it felt so good.

She tried to think of the last time someone had rubbed her back like this, but none where coming to mind. Truthfully nothing much was coming to mind as the two hands worked skillfully at her back and neck.

Sakura could feel her breathe shorten and her knees weaken as she reached for something to brace herself on as the hands glided over her back in a rhythmic dance. If she didn't know any better, Sakura was pretty sure this treatment could easily be compared to with sex. If so, she would gladly take this other sex any day of the weak.

"Being a doctor, I would have thought you would get this kind of thing taken care of by one of your cohorts." Is voice was quieter then usual but it held a sense of firmness to it that made Sakura's eyes shot open. She turned around quickly, a blush spreading even faster across her face.

"You do know that this is what I hire housekeepers for?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her as he motioned to the trash bag in her hand.

Sakura just stared blankly at him trying to muster up one complete sentence.

"Wher…where's Kaito?" She shook her head lightly as if it might help pull her from the images of Sasuke's arms that day in the hospital; oh and let us not forget that fateful day in her office. A deeper blush spread across her face and she looked down.

Sasuke smirked, but quickly covered up his amusement, "Just got done tucking him in. He'll be out for quite a bit." Sakura nodded and looked around the room for something to focus her attention on.

Sasuke grabbed the trash bag from her hand and let it fall to the floor, "You want some cof—coco?" He asked as he turned and made his way towards the kitchen.

"Sure." Sakura slowly followed in behind him.

"Mary usually makes it, but I will see what I can do." Sasuke said more to himself then to Sakura as he grabbed two cups and got to work.

Sakura slid into the stool at the island slowly as she watched the man in front of her work diligently at preparing their drinks. It was a night for a hot drink that was for sure. Sakura shook her head. She had been in such a hurry to get over here that she had left her coat hanging on the back of her kitchen chair.

Fall was upon them with winter not to far behind it, making the days pleasant, but the nights rather chilly. The rain would start soon as well. It was always such cold rain, the kind that goes right to the bone. At this time of year it wasn't cold enough for it to be snow or sleet so you just walked around and got hypothermia; she'd seen it happen.

A sigh escaped her lips as the sweet smile of coco filled her nostrils. Sasuke slipped her mug underneath her nose and took a set across from her.

"Thanks." She pulled the cup up to her nose and breathed in the dark smell of the chocolate, "This smells amazing." Blowing lightly over the top she stole a glance from man next to her and smiled.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, pleased at her comment as he took a sip of his, "Just don't go telling everyone."

"Oh scouts honor." Sakura giggled before taking a sip. She enjoyed the way the smooth liquid lingered in her mouth and down her throat. The taste alone was heavenly, but the texture was almost unexplainable.

They sat there for several minutes just enjoying their sweet beverages. Sakura replayed their conversation at the coffee house through her head, trying to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. Their conversation had been cut short and they never got to talk about _parenting_ but Sakura didn't really know if it was the right time to bring that up.

"Do you work tomorrow?" The whisper of a voice touched her ear and shook her from her thoughts. She looked over at Sasuke who took a sip of his coco ever so nonchalantly and looked at her.

"Oh, yes. I go in tomorrow at around three. I'm on an alternating schedule with three other doctors. We're supposed to have 23 hour shifts with a three hour crossover, but…" She trailed off as she thought back to the events of this morning.

Sasuke watched her closely out of the corner of his eye as he head slowly dropped and her shoulders sagged. They were silent again for several minutes before it was Sakura's turn to shake them from silence.

"We never got to finish our talk the other day at the coffee shop." Sakura turned her whole body to face him, mug in hand. Sasuke smirked into his cup before composing his face and turning to look at her.

"And what was it that we didn't finish? Did you need to perform another exam?" There was a great deal of mischief in his tone and it made Sakura blush deeply.

"No!" Her blush continued to rise as Sasuke smirked, his eyes never leaving her face. She quickly composed herself before sending Sasuke a slight glare. "We were suppose to be discussing your parenting skills, but somehow ended up talking about your meddling family."

Sasuke's shoulders dropped a millimeter and he let an annoyed sounding breath escape his lips, "I really don't know if it's really a topic of discussion. I took off work; I'm spending more time with him. Hell I even planned his birthday party!" His voice didn't raise a notch in volume, but Sakura could still hear the edge in it.

"You know I didn't mean that." When he said nothing, Sakura huffed and scooted her stool over closer to his, "You are doing a great job, really you are. I don't know many millionaire fathers who would dress up like Batman for their son's sixth birthday." She smirked at the image of Sasuke walking into the room dressed in a homemade Batman costume; the kids had gone crazy.

"You are trying real hard and I can see that, but I'm just wondering if it will be permanent or not." Sasuke shot her a cold look making her breathe catch in her throat, "I didn't mean it like that." She shook her head to gather her thoughts in order.

"Look, ten years from now that little boy you just tucked into bed will be getting his permit and be driving out of your life before you know it. Are _you_ going to be there even when he doesn't ask you to? Will you simply work your life away in your office when he's out traveling with sports?" She raised an eyebrow at him. Sasuke slowly turned to face her with an unreadable expression. He held her gaze for a few minutes before finding the courage to speck up.

"I promised myself years ago I would never be like my father," He scoffed at his hands before looking back up at her, "Yet when I wake up in the morning he's the one I see in the mirror." Sasuke's voice dropped to a whisper as he held her eyes.

"He always told me what I was going to be, what I was going to do…I thought it was just how things were at first, but I realized all to late that there was something wrong with that way of thinking."

"So far I've seen you do all this stuff that your family wants you to do; date beautiful women, run the company, be a great asset to the community, be a face, a name…but" she paused as she let her eyes loose themselves in his gaze, "What do you want to do?"

Sasuke looked at her; surprise and confusion slowly taking over his face. He truly had never thought of that before. What did he want to do with his life?

He was very still for a moment making Sakura think he could possibly be in shock. The movement of his hand around his cup brought a sigh of relief to her lips; though her own heart nearly stopped with his next statement.

"I saw a show once, where some superhero was chasing a villain down some dark ally. I remember being afraid. I told my father about it, but he just brushed it off and went on with life. Later I saw the show again and it ended up that the superhero had a police officer as an alter-ego.

"The twist in the plot was that _as_ a police officer he had a great fear of the dark." He paused in thought as they ran deeper and deeper into his consciences before turning back to Sakura, "I figured if he could overcome his fear as a superhero, so could I." He shrugged and took a sip of his cooling coco.

"You wanted to be a police officer?" Sakura pushed further.

"Oh there was no want to it. I even have a badge." Sasuke stated matter-of-factly.

"You're a cop!" It was more of a statement then a question that shrieked out of Sakura's lips.

"Shhh!" Sasuke scolded her before flashing a smirk, "Yeah, well I'm retired now to help with the company."

"So you have a gun?" Sasuke couldn't help but laugh at her question; she was acting like some of Kaito's classmates.

"Yes." He paused and lifted her cup, "Several. Handcuffs too." He smirked as he took another drink.

Sakura caught the tone in his voice and sent him a look that could kill.

"I never would have taken you for a cop." She shook her head lightly, "How long were you in?"

He shifted to pop his back, "Do you mind if we move this conversation to a more comfortable setting?" He stood as Sakura nodded.

Sakura plopped herself into the large leather couch next to Sasuke and tucked her legs up underneath her.

"So, how long?" Sasuke sent her a sideways glance before giving up.

"I went to the Academy when I was 17 and when I turned 18 I went on my first patrol."

"Wow, so young. You must have been pretty smart to get in to a Police Academy at such a young age." Sakura leaned towards Sasuke as she propped her arm on the back of the couch.

"I was actually accepted when I was 16, but Chief said that was too young, so I waited another year before I put on the uniform. I didn't have to stay long thanks to all the practice I got in at home. Just about the only time I ever saw my dad proud of me was when we would go to the firing range." He paused slightly before continuing.

"After my brothers glorious exile my dad told me I needed to hang up silly dreams and get to work. So, I left the force and went to work for him." Sasuke sighed and stretched down deeper into the couch.

"I think that was the most I have ever heard you talk. So sure that I think I could take all the other times we've talked and they wouldn't even add up to half." Sakura smiled at the disgruntle look Sasuke had plastered on his face.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me that we can talk like this." Sakura smiled once more as she rested her head on her arm.

They set in a rather comfortable silence for quite a while, simply listening to the sounds of the house and the few that seeped through the walls from the outside. The clock in the hallway chimed several times, but even that didn't break the two from their calm. It wasn't until Sasuke heard a slight snoring sound that he chanced a look at the woman sitting next to him. He couldn't help but smirk at the sleeping form of the pink-haired doctor.

He stared at her soft face for several minutes before easing his body off the couch. With careful hands he slid her legs out from under her body and pulled her into his arms.

A deep sigh escaped her throat as she subconsciously nestled her head into the curve of his neck. A rather intoxication scent reached Sasuke's nose as he carried her limp body up the stairs and into a side room.

It took a bit of maneuvering to pull back the comforter with a woman in his arms; it was always so easy with Kaito. Soon enough, Sasuke had Sakura tucked beneath the covers without having roused her even the slightest.

A shaky breathe escaped his lips as he watched Sakura curl onto her side with a pillow she had worked effortlessly between her legs. Shaking the flood of thoughts from his head, Sasuke stole one last glance before exiting the room quickly.

Back in the safety of his own room, he locked his door and removed all his clothes before crawling into the cool, crisp sheets of his bed. He wouldn't be getting to much sleep to night, but for once it bothered him that it wouldn't be for the real thing.

* * *

-Ahhhh!! To long I know!! Just don't throw anything to hard please.

Thank you so much for everyone who kept on my ass for this. It was so hard to find a great start to this chapter and without you all giving me the push and encouragement I needed it might have never happened.

Thanks again guys. Hopefully I won't be as late as this one was, just bear with me a bit.

-Fino


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